Beware of Dog
by Lee Isidor
Summary: Finally accepted into an elite French boarding school, Kanda leaves home in Japan to attend - three weeks into the school year. With new friends, creepy teachers, and well, French, grades will be the least of his worries.. LaviYuu, TyKan
1. Nervous

**Lee Isidor: **I know. It's me.

**8.** Sorry I'm kinda falling behind on my usual schedule.. ST hasn't made much progress at all, and HtC is kind of at a standstill.. :/ I'm sorta-not-really-working-on-it. xDD I dunno. I just don't have any incentive. It'll get there, eventually, but unless someone can help me out of this funk, I dunno how long it's gonna be until I can make myself type up a decent chapter.

**9. **Beware of Dog is finally back! I edited the chapter, took a few things out and put a few things back in, and it's better now. I hope. It's a little shorter than the original, but at least this time, everything _should _be spelled correctly. :/

**10. **Hooray for LaviYuu! C: It's gonna be a little slow in developing, and the plot I originally planned is sort of lost - because I had it all written out, but now I have no idea where the papers went, so ya'll will just have to deal with me wingin' it. ;D

**11. **Any requests for drabbles, send 'em my way. I need to get out of this slump, and maybe drabbles will help? I'm hopin'.

**12. **Remember. I'm resurrecting dead characters. xDD Look for Kazana Reed this chapter. He's the only one for right now. And just as a side note... I might ask for some OCs later. Just for fun. C: There aren't enough females in DGM to go around. :/ Meh. But whatever. Without further ado...

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not claim to own DGM. I do, however, own the title Sketchy Theater. If you take that, I'll be angry. Otherwise, keep on keepin' on.**

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**Chapter One: Nervous**

He didn't like being the new kid. Not one stinking bit.

Kanda Yuu trudged across the grassy expanse of field from the dorms to the actual school building, his _stuff_ already all put away in the single room _they_, whoever they were that assigned the rooms, had given him. Even though it was already three weeks into the school year, his scholarship to the boarding school had only just come through, allowing him leave his home in Japan and the rather blasé school he had been attending to come live and work at the newer, _more_ prestigious academy. Actually, he couldn't remember the name of it. It was something in French.

He sighed, thrusting his hands into his pockets and tossing his head. His long, dark hair, held up in a sleek tail, followed the motion smoothly, and Kanda sighed again. This new school was impossibly big, and he was _not_ going to admit to having trouble navigating it. No. He wasn't lost, just turned around a little bit.

Okay, _a lot_.

He blinked dark eyes owlishly, trying not to grit his teeth in annoyance. Like his little sister kept telling him, it was a bad habit. Not good for his teeth, not good for his face — she kept telling him he was going to wrinkle up like an old man because he frowned so much. She also liked to point out that maybe that was why he had so much trouble smiling. Oh well – maybe she was right. She _did _have that annoying habit of, well, being right all the time. He glanced up at a sign on the side of a building, mind turning anxiously to read the French. It wasn't his first or _best_ language, but... the school was in France, so...

_Language Arts [French] and Language Classes_, he translated finally. Oh. That was definitely the building he was looking for.

In the mood to double-check, Kanda glanced down at his schedule. He pulled the wrinkled piece of paper out of his jeans pocket. Maybe he should have bought pants that had more room for his things. He shook his head – no way would he complain. It was fine. The uniform they had tried to give him that morning, well... He didn't bother to hide an angry expression at the thought. They had thought he was _female_ on arrival and had given him a skirt-and-shirt combination for 'appropriate dress.' He had been quick to rectify _that _mistake and be on his way to his first few classes. It was just his luck that he had been late to all of them, and _then _he had been forced to explain why he was wearing dark jeans and a t-shirt instead of the stupid uniform. And _then _they usually wanted to know why he had shown up three weeks into the school year. It had been annoying, to say the least.

First, he had to explain that the office had gotten his - che - gender wrong, and that he hadn't been issued a uniform yet. The teachers were usually sympathetic about that. Except for that one, Tyki Mikk, who had just laughed at him. Then he had to explain that the stupid guide who had been _supposed _to show him around had - _che _- bailed, leaving him to explore the huge campus on his own. And last, he had been _forced _to explain that there had been a mix-up with the mail and his letter of acceptance hadn't reached him until three days prior. His parents had shoved him on a plane with his duffel bag, promising to send more things later, and, three freakin' weeks into the school year, he had started as an official private school brat.

It wasn't _all _bad, he tried to reason with himself. There were a few faces he was starting to recognize in his classes. The annoyingly chipper redhead with the eye-patch that obviously broke dress code. The Chinese girl with the pigtails and the white-haired boy who were wandering around the grounds between classes, together more often than not. The rowdy group of boys that had stuck near the quad during lunch. Maybe an older girl with dark hair and a slight foreign accent. Another boy whose dark hair and pale skin made him look oddly vampiric. And the dark-skinned girl who had a striking resemblance to his third-period history teacher, Tyki Mikk. Maybe they were related?

Eh, whatever. He had more important things to worry about. Like getting to his last-period Latin class on time. It wasn't likely, but he could still try – until the loud, gong-like bell rang across the quad, sound reverberating in his ears. Fuck. He was definitely late to another class.

"Hey, hey! Yuu, yeah, you!"

Kanda turned at the voice shouting across the quad, not sure if the person was addressing him or not. His first name and the word 'you' got him a lot. People tended to forget that he didn't like being called by that given name for that reason among others, but it was okay most of the time - because people _remembered_. He found his doe brown eyes were focused on the green of the grass instead of looking for the person calling him, so it was quite a surprise when he found the annoyingly chipper redhead from one of his earlier classes walking beside him when he next looked up.

"Hey! Are you late for Latin too?" He asked conversationally, and the middle Kanda took a moment to observe the other boy. His shock of bright red hair was held back with a green headband, and the strap of his eye-patch ran beneath it. Breaking dress code in two instances? Whatever. His single eye was green, contrasting with his pale-but-not-as-pale-as-Kanda's complexion, and a blue, plastic binder was tucked under his arm. A black backpack hung from one shoulder, and the bag hadn't been quite zipped closed. "You're Kanda, right?"

"Yeah..." Kanda replied uncertainly to both questions, hoping the other would get it. He shrugged his slim shoulders nonchalantly, trying not to let on how uncomfortable he was. "Sucks being the new kid three weeks in."

The redhead granted him an excited smile, his uncovered eye closing happily. "I know, right? Hey, I'm Lavi. I've seen you in a few of my classes, I think. You rooming up in the Grieg Dorms?"

The long-haired boy nodded. The redhead was just so outgoing, and it was sort of catchy. "Just moved in this morning," he admitted almost shyly without knowing why. Somehow he was feeling more talkative than normal. "I've been late to every class today 'cause my guide skipped out..." That, at least, had been fact. When he had showed up at the office that morning, waiting for his guide had made him late for _first _period.

Lavi made an odd noise that sounded like he was sucking in his teeth. "That's no fun. We'll just tell Nyne that you got lost and I'm helping you find the room," he grinned, shifting the binder under his arm. "She's pretty nice, most of the time."

Kanda nodded as though the other's words made some sort of sense to him. It wouldn't look good for him to show how confused he was. Nine? Who or what the hell was that? The redhead must have seen the expression flit across his face, though; he grinned again and held up two fingers in a sort of peace-sign. "You know, Cloud Nyne? She's the Latin teacher. Dunno if you've met her yet, if this is just your first day."

The long-haired boy shrugged his slim shoulders again, trying to force himself to nod at the words. "Yeah, it really sucks walking into all these classes without knowing anyone or the teachers _or_ having a fucking uniform..."

Oops. He had just said the 'f' word again. His siblings were always telling him to tone down his cursing... maybe he should start taking their advice into consideration. The only thing was, it had been one of the first words he had learned in French, so sometimes it just slipped out.

Lavi merely laughed, waving the hand he had used to make a peace sign. He was leading them into the building and down one of the hallways, the bulletin board littered with random colored papers. A bright orange piece advertising the next football game caught his eye, and Kanda swept his gaze over the board without breaking stride. Lots of different things were going on, apparently, and this bulletin board seemed to be dedicated to the language clubs and their activities — aside from the football one. Well, that would make sense, he figured. It _was _the language building.

"So, how come you don't have a uniform? They're kind of annoying, actually, but sure makes it a lot easier to get dressed. Don't gotta think about it too much," Lavi laughed, scratching the side of his head and making another turn. The hallways all looked the same – how was he going to remember the way?

The Japanese teen shrugged his slim shoulders, feeling almost self-conscious. Before he could decide whether or not to tell the redhead, he found the words spilling from his mouth. "Well, the office had me down as a girl, so they tried to give me a skirt and I said no fucking way."

The other teen grinned, his face lighting up with the smile. "Haha, I'm sure that was a great way to start your first day, huh? He laughed again. "Must'a turned out a pretty bad day."

Kanda could feel the smile tugging at the corners of his lips, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to grant the other with it. He barely knew the redhead, and already he was feeling comfortable enough to smile? That wasn't something that happened very often. "Yeah, _great_." He was sure Lavi would note his sarcasm. "So, how far away is this classroom, anyway?"

"Just a few more," the other teen answered evasively, waving a hand nonchalantly. "I'm sure they aren't doing much, though. It's kind of a fun class, 'cause we don't actually do much work. But hey, you should totally come with me after school to meet people — makes it more interesting, you know?"

The younger of the odd pair felt his eyes drawn to a spot on the wall, determined not to look at Lavi. It felt so strange for someone to be so familiar with him after only talking for a few minutes. Back home, people weren't like that. Back home, people wouldn't get familiar with you unless you insisted or you'd known them forever and a day. It was kind of... refreshing. "I guess," he relented finally as they stopped in front of a closed classroom door. "Is this one it?"

"Mmhm," Lavi made a noncommittal noise that Kanda took for agreement, jerking his head to the side. "I'll tell Nyne I was showing you the way to class and that way we'll both be off the hook. It'll be awesome."

Without waiting for his response, the redhead threw the door open dramatically. The teacher, a woman whose long, blonde hair was covering half of her face, stopped mid-sentence. For a moment, she looked surprised, but then her expression changed to simply exasperated. "Lavi! Why are you late _again_?" She stressed with an annoyed look. She was standing in front of a whiteboard, marker poised in hand and a line of Latin scrawling across the board; Kanda let his eyes dip around the classroom to examine it for a familiar face. Or a friendly one. Or just, you know...

"Oh, who's this? Ah! You must be Yuu Kanda!" The woman's lips curved into a kind smile, and she beckoned Kanda closer. The teen obeyed, stepping into the classroom and closing the door behind him. He tried to hide a wince at the loud noise it made – and at the language she was speaking to him. He hated French. Hated it, hated it _a lot_. And the way they said his name was strange. Back home, nobody would have dared to call him 'Yuu', by his given name, but here the teachers addressed him with it like there was nothing wrong with it.

Kanda had decided, even after being in the country for less than two days. He _hated_ France.

"Yes. I'm Kanda," he fought to keep his tone polite, offering the Latin teacher a frosty smile. She seemed to take it for the better and patted his shoulder. Kanda pretended not to notice her look of confusion when he barely-concealed a wince. He hated it when people touched him without permission too. "I'm sorry we're late, but Lavi was helping me find the class."

"Is that so?" Cloud shot the redhead an unconvinced look, something that wasn't lost on Kanda. Was Lavi _usually_ late to classes or something? "Well, I guess that's okay. I'll let it slide this time, Junior. Take Kanda with you to your seat; give 'im the empty one by the window, 'kay?"

The class was watching, some faces bored, some with barely-concealed amusement. Kanda hated being watched. He hated being watched almost as much as he hated France as a whole. The original nervous feeling he had gotten from being in front of the class, from being the new kid, was finally fading, replaced by a dull ache he vaguely recognized as homesickness. He was _not_ homesick. He did _not_ want to go home.

The class was boring. Why did Latin have to be a dead language? Who really needed to know how to speak it, anyway?

Kanda propped his chin in the palm of one of his hands, trying to ignore the curious looks he was getting from some of the other students. He didn't really care what they thought of him, _really_, but it was annoying all the same. The third time a girl in the second row turned in her seat to bat her eyes at him, he fixed her with a pointed glare, and she turned back around _quick_. A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips in triumph. Still had it. It _did _cross his mind that normal teenage boys wouldn't scare off the opposite sex, but it was _annoying_. Really, couldn't girls figure out a better way – maybe a more _casual _way – of checking him out?

Sooner than he would've liked, the class was over, and Lavi was dragging him outside again. The quad was still grass-green, and he found time to take a second to admire it. The grass really was nice... Back home, there was hardly room to _spit_, let alone have an actual yard and things like that. A frown tugged at his lips as he spotted what looked like hoof-prints. Were there _horses_ at the school? Who would keep a horse at school? It sounded ridiculous, like something rich, pompous brats with too much time and _way_ too much money on their hands would do.

"You've gotta meet a few o' the guys if you're gonna be living in Grieg dorms," Lavi was explaining, and the long-haired teen figured he should pay a bit of attention. For the most part, he had only been half-listening, but something about the other's tone of voice told him it would be to his benefit. Like there would be a quiz on it or something. "I'll introduce you to Allen and Krorykins and Kazana! Well, I'd have you meet Daisya and Noise too, but they're in a different building or sommat, I dunno..."

Kanda felt his eyebrows rising on his forehead at the names. "So, who are these people?" Oddly enough, he couldn't find the energy to tug his arm out of the redhead's vice-like grip, so he let himself be dragged along the quad. He could still admire the grass and trees and scenery, and, well, _stuff_.

"Well, I dunno if you'll like Allen or not, but he's a freshman — just started here, you know, but he's pretty cool an' he's my roomie, so you better be nice to him. And Krorykins, I've known for a while; he looks kinda like a vampire. And Kazana, well... we like to say he looks like Kurosaki Ichigo from Bleach! Him an' Krorykins are both seniors..." Lavi prattled off, his binder still tucked beneath one arm. At least he wasn't _totally_ ignorant of Japanese names, though. He had gotten the family name first correct. The redhead's grip on Kanda's upper arm hadn't abated in the slightest, not even as they crossed the threshold of the dorm building and a white-haired, blue-grey-eyed kid was waving at them across the lounge.

Even filled with people, the lounge still managed to retain some sort of regal undertones, Kanda noted as he was dragged across the room. He shook his head, frowning. What was it with him observing scenery that day? His dark eyes re-focused on the kid waving at them - or, he would prefer, just at Lavi. Just laying eyes on the white-haired boy, he could already tell he wasn't going to get along with him. He just didn't look like someone he, Kanda Yuu, could get along with. Oh well. He'd try, within reason, to _not_ kill the boy. After all, his precious katana, Mugen, was in his room. _At home_. He couldn't well carry it around to his classes with him; he would have gotten even more odd looks that the ones he had _already _received. And he had been smart enough not to smuggle it past airline security. Probably would have landed his ass in jail faster than he could say, "This sucks."

"..and this is Yuu Kanda!" Lavi was finishing with whatever he had been saying, and Kanda turned dark eyes on him again, glaring halfheartedly at the redhead.

"It's Kanda Yuu," he corrected absentmindedly, trying not to scowl too much. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he winced, realizing a second too late what he had said. Lavi, instead of being annoyed, merely laughed aloud and leaned on Kanda's shoulder, much closer to his concept of personal space than he would have liked. "It's how you say it back in Japan," he muttered, setting his jaw and trying not to flush.

"I'm Allen Walker!" The white-haired boy said with a chipper smile, sticking out his hand. Beneath those white bangs, Kanda could barely make out the after-effects of a scar — was that a fucking _pentacle_ on his head? Who _was_ this kid? "It's nice to meet you, Kanda-kun!"

"Nice to meet you too, Moyashi," the nickname slipped past his lips before he thought about what he was saying, but now that he thought about it... Kanda tilted his head to the side in an almost imperceptive manner, grinning to himself inwardly. Yes, moyashi suited Allen just fine. He looked small, and scrawny, and... God, had _he_ looked like that when he was fifteen? He certainly hoped not.

"Moyashi?" Allen frowned, sticking out his lower lip in a pout. "What does that mean? The way you're lookin' at me, I get the feeling it's not very nice."

"Means bean sprout in Japanese," Lavi supplied helpfully, grinning widely. "I like it! Nice one, Yuu-chan!"

"Call me that again and you die," Kanda threatened the redhead, finally tugging his arm out of the other's grasp. He gave the taller boy a cutting look with his eyes, trying to silently convey the irritation he felt at being called by his given name. Hated that, too. "You can call me Kanda."

Now that he thought about it, he hated a lot of things. That probably wasn't too healthy for a sixteen-year-old... oh well.

"But Yuu-chan has such a good ring to it!" the redhead was shooting him that annoyingly happy smile; the carefree one Kanda had seen him foisting on in different classes. "'Sides, if you're gonna call Allen 'moyashi' then we need sommat to call you _too_!"

Both of Kanda's eyebrows were rising on his forehead, attributing to his incredulous expression. "Don't make me repeat it again, moron. You can call me 'Kanda.' You don't _know _me well enough to use my given name." Oh, crap. There went a rather vital piece of his culture just _blurted_ out in front of two teens that were probably going to bug him about it for the rest of his days at the academy.

"Yup! I know, that's Japanese culture for you," Lavi grinned at Allen, slinging one of his long arms over the younger boy's shoulders. "But seriously, Kanda? What if I got to know you better? Then could I call you Yuu-chan?"

"No," Kanda replied easily, rolling his eyes at the overeager redhead. Suddenly there was an arm slung around _his_ shoulders, and said redhead was waving almost spasmodically at a carrot-topped boy from across the room. With his orange hair and brown eyes, Lavi had been right, Kanda admitted grudgingly to himself. This Kazana person _did_ look a lot like Kurosaki Ichigo in Bleach. How strange.

"Yuu-chan, this is Kazana Reed. Kazana, this is Kanda. He's the new exchange guy, you know? Just moved in this morning," Lavi announced as soon as the orange-haired teen was in hearing distance. "He's gonna be my new buddy, so I figured I'd intro him to everyone."

Kanda shot the other a look. He didn't particularly want Lavi to be his buddy. Not Lavi, not Allen, and not this Kazana character. He wasn't in France for friends. He was in France to finish his high school education, and to study and make amazing grades to get another full scholarship into whichever university he wanted. And then his parents would have no choice but to be proud of him and accept that he could live his own life without being under their thumbs, without them dictating what he could do and who he could hang out with, without them breathing down his neck about grades. Actually, boarding school was turning out to be a nice break.

"Well, 's nice to meet you, Kanda," Kazana said easily, putting his hands behind his head in a pose reminiscent of the character he resembled. "Hope you have a good year here. 'S not too bad once you get used to it. Even Lavi's not so bad once you get past how annoying he is."

Lavi gaped openly, his jaw dropping at the words, and Kanda had to stifle a snicker. "You _dare_ call me annoying, Kazana?"

The orange-haired senior nodded, a smirk tugging at his own thin lips. "Yeah. I dare. But catch ya later, oh annoying one and Kanda, 'cause I've got practice. You know, team player an' all that." He grinned widely, ruffling Lavi's hair despite the indignant 'hey!' it encouraged, and waved at the long-haired boy. "Later — don't start the party without me!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Lavi grinned before turning back to Kanda. He was getting more and more annoyed with all of these people just coming up out of nowhere, and if Allen didn't stop looking at him like he was either about to go on a mad, homicidal rampage and deliver them smack downs or explode, whichever happened first, he really _was_ going to do one of the options. Preferably not explode though. _Lavi _could do the exploding. He wouldn't mind, at least not too much.

Before either of the two boys could comment, the Japanese teen spun on heel and made towards the stairs. He was going to do his homework, eat dinner, and sleep. Whatever.

"Yuu-chan! Where are you going?" Lavi called after his retreating back, and Kanda turned at the stairs long enough to give him a fairly evil glare.

"I'm going to my room," Kanda answered shortly, trying to soften his glare. The redhead didn't mean any harm, he figured. Maybe if he wasn't quite so annoying, he could actually consider being friends with the older teen. "I've got stuff to do."

"Okay!" Lavi accepted the answer with a chipper smile before turning back to his white-haired companion, seemingly deep in conversation.

It was a good thing Kanda's back was turned, else he would have seen the look –it would have been odd to him - the redhead gave him as he stomped up the stairs.

Whatever. He didn't need these people anyways. His 'friends' back in Japan, his family, and the clan. He didn't need to get too close to anyone in France anyway; they were all annoying, rich, conceited brats with daddy's credits cards, and too much free time on their hands. He had to _work_ for that fucking scholarship, and like hell he was going to let it slip through his fingers like cupping a puddle. The analogy stuck in his mind. It was kind of funny.

Were puddles even _allowed _in France? Whatever. He didn't care.

Maybe his second day would be better.

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Yup. C:

Review. You know I like it.


	2. Excited

**Lee Isidor: **What up. C:

**293. **Shameless plug. Go read I Spy and ST5. Because I Spy has Lucky in it, and ST5 is up. xDD

**294. **More shameless plug. Go see mana1134's deviantart. She's got cute TyKan pictures up~! C:

**295. **This chapter wasn't edited much. I got kind of lazy. xDD So, if I missed anything, don't hesitate to tell me. I'm actually not sure where this one was going before I stopped, so meh. And if anyone happens to have a copy of chapter four, which I conveniently don't have, please let me know. I'd love you forever.

**296. **Mur. School is starting again soon. I'm super excited. xDD

**297. **Yup. I might have a drabble up later this week. I'm not sure. It all depends.

**Review**** Response**

**glon morski: **Hm. Can't claim I really know anything about swords, so I'll just stick with a katana unless someone rags on me for being wrong. Then I'll go buy one and threaten people with it! xDD Whoo. Anyway, thank you for the clarification and awesome review. c:

**KikiKrisis: **Not as many add-ons in this chapter, but there are a few. I dunno. I don't really remember editing it, but I know I did... hmm.. -scratches head- Oh well. Thanks for your awesome review! C:

**yumise-lunar: **Yeah, people do. I mean, he's not _that _hyper. That's not the vibe I got from his character in the m anga. He's active, but active people don't bounce around all the time. :/ Mur. As for a starting point or a muse, I really don't have any. My ideas really don't develop from songs or other fics that I've read, or anything that I can think of. Most of the time, if the idea gets in my head, it goes to paper and then plans start forming, and then all this stuff starts rolling, and I don't even know how it got that way. xDD Not that I'm shooting down your suggestion - I do plan on going back and trying to figure things out - but dunno how much success that's gonna have. Thanks for your awesome review, though! C:

**Vicky the Vampire: **I know, doesn't that suck? I'd be mad at everyone too. xDD Thanks for your awesome review!

**whatthehellwasithinkin: **Well, he's not as moody for the entire fic, because it _is _different circumstances... He's a different person in this fic, y'know? I mean, he's not an exorcist and doesn't have quite the same contempt for life that he does in the manga. Different situation, setting, whatever, and it makes for a different character development. C: If that makes sense. Thanks for the luck and your awesome review! C:

**Peaches and Sweet Cream: **Your pen name makes me want to eat cobbler. Hmm.. I wonder if I could make some.. Glad you like it so much! Thanks for your awesome review! c:

**Super Goat Grl: **Hehe.. -feels loved- It's not really an OC, though. I just took a character from DGM that died and brought him back to life. Just so I could have more people to work with. xDD And to be honest, I have no idea what sport he's playing. Maybe soccer? I like soccer..

With the drabbles, it's just, if you want a particular word or a particular pairing, I could work something out, y'know? xDD And don't worry about promising anything - I'm good with reviews for now. C: I love reviews. A lot. Hehe. I love praise. Makes me feel good, y'know? ;D As for that crossover, I'm not sure what happened to it. I just sorta lost interest. I do that a lot with HP crossovers. I'll start them and be all excited about it, but then I'll lose interest. Murmur. Love your ramblings. xDD Thanks for the awesome review! C:

**ScarletFirez: **Glad it sounds interesting! I hope it stays that way. c: I read a description for Kazana Reed on wikipedia, so I thought, why not? So, there he is. xDD Thanks for your awesome review!

**lovemug: **Hehe. I can say, though, that Tyki's going to be a lot less cute in later chapters. ;DD But for now, it's okay for him to be cute. I guess. Thanks for your awesome review!

**88celine: **Glad you liked it. Does this answer your question? C: Thanks for the awesome review!

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own DGM. Nor do I want to. Thank you very much. Here goes. C:**

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**Chapter Two: Excited **

The air was clear, the sky was blue, the weather was fantastic, and the new kid from Japan was kind of hot in his own antisocial-humbug way.

Lavi grinned, shaking a lock of his red hair out of his single uncovered eye. His legs were tossed over the edge of the couch, feet dangling over the armrest. He was silently thankful that there was no one else in the room to nag him about his posture. Bookman was doing that all the time. There was a pile of homework waiting for him back in his dorm room, but he didn't want to do it quite yet. Instead, he was going to review the week mentally and try to figure out what to do with himself.

Monday had been boring, save the appearance of Yuu Kanda – no, Kanda Yuu, he corrected himself. He had made the entire week interesting, actually. And Lavi was having too much fun annoying the living daylights out of him. Monday had been an ordinary day until the Japanese teen had shown up, the redhead mused to himself. _And_ he had gotten out of being late to Latin again. He couldn't help it that Miss Kitty and Mango Smoothie needed to be fed and watered and checked on during the school day. He just couldn't leave his horses alone for so long.

Tuesday had been boring too. His first two classes were pointless, always the same. Well, they weren't exactly pointless, but they really weren't that interesting when push came to shove. Third period history had suddenly become an interesting class with the addition of Kanda, and of course, Tyki always managed to keep the class on their toes. Half the time he was showing up late, half the time he had them just watch movies and take notes because he was too lazy to teach, and half the time they just sat around and talked. Even though that definitely added up to three halves. Things didn't get interesting again until physics, his fifth period class, which he also had with Kanda. And, of course, the Japanese boy was probably getting an A-plus-plus or something. French three was boring, as usual, 'cause he already knew the language, and a ton of others, so what was the point of taking the class? And Latin had suddenly opened up as an endless opportunity to talk to Yuu-chan. As long as he didn't get lost on the way to class.

Wednesday had been a normal day. Schoolwork, doing homework that he hadn't done the night before during all his classes, being late to half of them, having to explain to librarian Hevlaska, during his fourth period library aide, why half the books he had been shelving were still _un_shelved and why he was doing homework instead. Of course, she hadn't particularly minded, seeing as she would have rather done the books herself anyway, and Lavi wasn't complaining about it. He needed to finish homework.

Thursday he had made it a point to talk to Yuu-chan in every class they had together. The younger teen was probably getting annoyed with him, but it didn't matter, because now Lavi knew little things about him like... Uh... The fact that he washed his hair with soap and his dorm room was a single! Well, those facts he had kind of forced out of him, but no matter. Yuu-chan was an interesting person to talk to. When he was actually talking instead of the monosyllabic grunts and curse words he frequented instead.

Friday had been his favorite day of the week. As soon as school had let out for the day, he had immediately gone to the stables to ride his two horses. Mango Smoothie and Miss Kitty had been so happy to see him, and Lavi wished he had more time to visit them during the week. But, as luck would have it, it was near impossible to do all the things he wanted to and still find time to ride every day. So every few days were all he had time for. And 'sides, it was more fun when he had someone to ride _with_ him.

And that was how Lavi found himself decked out in jeans and his riding boots, sitting around in the dorm room. It was either very late or very early; and Lavi found the silence of the dorm deafening. It was _way_ too quiet. What had happened to all the wild parties and late nights out?

"Shouldn't you be asleep by now, kid?" A voice spoke from the doorway, and the redhead jumped in surprise. Leaning against the door frame, looking decidedly bored, was Cross Marian; his long red hair was swaying slightly from the force of the air-conditioning in the building. "You and that kid I caught sneakin' out. You should both be in bed — 's pas' curfew by 'least two hours."

"Not tired," Lavi muttered, suppressing a yawn with a sideways glance at the older man. With one eye covered and a pair of slim glasses perched on his nose, Cross could have been _him_ only older. How old was the man, anyway? The redhead on the couch swung his legs, giving the older man a decidedly bored look. "I'm not sneaking out and it's not illegal to stay in the common room after curfew,'s long as I don't do anything."

"Don't quote the rules to me, brat," Cross mumbled in response, taking heavy steps and plopping into a plush chair across from Lavi. The teen raised his eyebrows, trying to quell the incredulous look on his face. "And don't give me a look like that. Just 'cause I'm your teacher doesn' mean I gotta act like it all'a time."

The older man sighed heavily, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and nodding in Lavi's direction. Without a word, he lit up the stick, taking a deep breath. The younger redhead was almost impressed that he didn't start coughing after the heavy breathing, and raised his eyebrows at the teacher across from him.

"I'd ask you if you cared if I smoke, but I don't care if you do."

"Well, I don't really care. Panda smokes all the time,'s no big deal anymore."

Cross surveyed the younger male with a quasi-critical eye, and Lavi shifted almost uncomfortably in his seat. The older redhead took a heavy drag on his cigarette, exhaling the smoke with a quiet sigh. "You're the brat that planned the Versailles trip, aren't you."

Lavi inclined his head slightly, his foot jiggling over the edge of the cough. Yeah. He had planned the trip, secured the sign-up sheet, and decided at the last minute to boot off someone who hadn't paid their dues so that Kanda could go on the trip instead. Yuu-chan had made the mistake of admitting that he hadn't actually been in Paris before, and what kind of crime was that? Living in Paris, France, and not having been to the Louvre? The Arc de Triomphe? The Eiffel Tower? Versailles Palace? It was up to him that Kanda saw all of these things and more while he was in Paris. After all, neither of them had any idea when he would be leaving. Lavi knew there were some stipulations for the long-haired boy's scholarship, but he didn't know exactly what they were.

"Isn't that the trip leaving tomorrow morning?" Cross continued, the butt of his cigarette glowing red as he took another drag. Without bothering to look for an ash tray, he flicked the end, sending the collection onto the plush carpets.

The younger redhead nodded his head again, feeling slightly confused. Where in the world was this conversation going, anyway?

"So wouldn't it make sense that you would be sleeping so that tomorrow you won't totally screw up the trip and end up leaving someone like the exchange student at the palace?" the teacher snickered, his mouth twisted into a half-smirk. "It's just too bad he's not female."

The younger male choked on air, trying not to laugh. The older man smirked to himself, again flicking the excess ash off of the end of his cigarette, blowing a steady stream of smoke from between his lips. The grey cloud hung in the air, swirling around his long, red locks, and Lavi kicked off one of his riding boots. He _was _tired, yeah. Maybe he should take the older man's advice and hit the hay.

He kicked off the other boot before swinging his legs to sit on the chair normally. A split second decision later, he had gathered his shoes and was stumbling towards the stairs, for all intents ready to go to bed. Allen was probably already long asleep, and Lavi smiled to himself as Cross snickered again behind him.

"Don't hurt yourself, kid," the teacher said easily, watching him walk up the stairs with a somewhat bored expression.

By that point, all of the other's words were just bouncing off of his ears.

Lavi had already gone to sleep.

* * *

He had woken up that morning to the glare of the sunlight through an open window. His white-haired roommate was standing in front of the window, throwing the curtains aside. The redhead moaned, burying his head under the covers. It was too early. He hadn't gotten enough sleep. Definitely not. Maybe Cross had been right when he had suggested the redhead go to sleep the night before.

"The sun isn't up yet," he said plainly, cocooning himself inside the blankets. "You're wrong, Allen. It's an illusion." Lavi grinned underneath the pillow, then winced as his friend jabbed him in the side. "Go 'way..."

"If you don't get up in two seconds, I'm throwing you in a cold shower!" Allen threatened, and through cracked eyes, the redhead could see his friend's silhouette with his hands on his hips. "You got back _way _too late for it to be innocent."

"Mmfft," Lavi made a sleepy noise and rolled over. "Leave me alone."

Before he knew what was happening, the white-haired boy had dragged him out of bed with a surprising amount of strength. The older boy kept his eyes firmly closed until there was the sound of a door slamming and he found himself staring at a rain of freezing water from the shower head. "Have a nice shower, La-vi!" Allen trilled, slamming the door behind him.

Dammit. Sometimes having a roommate _sucked_.

Sputtering and coughing, the redhead reached for the tap, turning it back to hot and looking down at his now-soggy clothes with an expression of distaste. He had to peel them off, tossing them out the door and onto an irate-sounding Allen before slamming the door and locking it. He didn't have a spare change of clothes, sure, but he could leave in a towel. It wasn't a big deal; he and Allen were both guys, and the white-haired boy could stand to see him parade around with something wrapped around his waist, at least.

No biggie.

And it all worked that way, of course. Because there usually wasn't anyone else wandering around their dorm in the mornings. Yeah. Not that he had been expecting anyone there, anyway, even if he _had _entertained the hope.

Lavi grinned, nearly bouncing on his feet. He had prepared everything to a 't' for the Versailles Palace trip, from the renting of a double-decker tour bus to house the students interested to where they would be eating lunch and how long they would be staying in the city. He was the master of plans, all right. The only detail he had skirted over was how to make sure Yuu-chan would be there, aside from forcing his name on the list.

Some time later, people were boarding the dark blue, double-decker bus he had booked just for the trip, but he had already made sure to secure the best two seats for himself and Kanda. He was going to make sure that the Japanese teen learned everything he possibly could from the trip, since he had never been to Versailles Palace before. All of the other kids were just going for something to fill the day with, or at least fill the daylight hours. And then plan for the wild rooftop parties that would likely be taking place as soon as the sun went down. Or something like that.

Lavi smiled to himself, watching as a group of giggling girls, tittering behind their hands, boarded the bus, casting him a wave and a heavily accented, "Good morning, Lavi!" in broken English before they collapsed into laughter again.

He nodded his head, pursing his lips as a lock of his red hair fell into his one green eye. "Morning, ladies," he grinned, giving them a flirtatious wink that sent them spiraling off into a fit of helpless giggling again. He turned his head back to the parking lot, watching carefully for the stark white of his roommate's hair and the long dark ebony of the transfer's.

And to his surprise, they were fairly easy to spot.

Allen, who had mysteriously disappeared after his shower prank, was dragging the older boy by the wrist, smile almost too wide to be considered normal. Kanda was walking slowly albeit surely behind him, his arm looking stiff, as though he had held it there for a long time. Spotting Lavi, the white-haired boy waved with his free hand, giving Kanda a pointedly annoyed look. The Japanese teen returned it with an annoyed look of his own, and the younger boy gave an exasperated sigh.

"Lavi, I found Kanda all holed up in his room. He looked like he wasn't even going to come on your trip, so I brought him for you!" Allen smiled, the motions looking slightly forced.

Kanda simply made a "che" noise, crossing his arms over his chest and turning his head at the same time. "I don't see why you have to drag me along to this Versailles place."

The redhead's eyes widened dramatically, and he waved his arms in the air. "Are you _kidding _me? Versailles Palace is one of the most beautiful palaces in Europe! So many other people tried to copy it, but they could never compare to the original. Back when it was in use..." He trailed off, trying to quell the urge to spout off random historical facts as the long-haired teen gave him an incredulous look. "Er, why don't we just get on the bus..."

The white-haired boy smiled again, this time the expression seeming more genuine. "Sounds like a plan, right, Kanda?" He asked pointedly, giving the taller boy a meaningful look.

"Don't rush me, Moyashi," Kanda muttered, following the two roommates onto the bus and frowning as Lavi beckoned him towards the stairs. "This is ridiculous."

"No, it's _fun_," Lavi corrected him, grabbing the sleeve of his jacket and tugging him towards the staircase and leading him towards the two seats near the front. He had put his junk on them before watching the people getting on the bus, making sure that two of the best seats were reserved. With the front of the bus made of glass, their seats provided an unobstructed view of everything they would pass, allowing for a nice view of the turning trees and bushes along the rather old roads. He would know, since he had been to Versailles many times before. Because it was pretty and old and historical. All good things.

Kanda slid into the seat closer to the wall of the bus, and Lavi took the aisle, stretching out his legs and slumping in the seat. Cross had been right, he noted sourly. He was _so _tired. Tired, tired, and not paying the least bit of attention to the Japanese teen sitting beside him. Lavi let his green eye slide, scowling when he realized the other boy was seated in his blind spot. He couldn't see the exchange student unless he turned his head and made it obvious he was looking, and he could have sworn the other was wearing a smug smile.

Of course, by the time he actually had found the right moment to turn his head covertly, the younger boy had shifted to lean against the window, eyes fixed on the scenery. And, as fate would have it, before he could do much more than open his mouth, a smooth voice from one of the speakers took over, starting a bilingual movie. Lavi closed his jaw, crossing his arms over his chest and trying not to look too sulky.

He only half-paid attention to the video, catching glimpses of old paintings and regal buildings out of the corner of his eye now and again. It was some informational video about the palace itself, and about the Louis that lived there and stuff like that. Stuff he already knew, thank you very much.

Beside him, he heard more than saw Kanda yawn widely, hiding his open mouth behind his hand. There was a tickle of hair on his cheek, and he tried to ignore as the younger boy turned his head, still yawning. "Is this movie going to be playing the whole time?" He asked quietly, and Lavi took the opportunity to turn to look at him.

"Far as I know, it does," he said almost uncertainly, his single eye flickering from the movie screen to a particularly beautiful fall-colored tree, and then back to Kanda's bored expression. "Why, 's it buggin' you?"

"I already know all the information," Kanda replied simply, turning his head to face the redhead again; his doe-brown eyes were only half-lidded. "I was just wondering if the pointless history lesson was the whole time or not."

Lavi shrugged his slim shoulders, trying not to let the smile that was tugging at his lips show too much. "You should listen anyway. You learn new things every time."

Kanda didn't answer, merely turned his head back fast enough to make his high ponytail nearly whip the older boy in the face before pressing his forehead against the panes of glass, his breath condensing in opaque clouds. "Whatever..."

The redhead smiled to himself, trying not to fidget too much as the bus plodded along.

Some time later, when they had all debarked the bus, Lavi waved his arm in the air, trying to get the attention of the group. "Hey! Hey, everyone! If you aren't back here by one-thirty, remember that the bus'll leave without you!" When hardly any of the group looked like they had heard him, Lavi grit his teeth and raised his voice to near-shouting. "H_ey_! Listen up or I'll let Yuu-chan kick your ass!"

To his surprise, that got the attention of a good bit of the group, and he offered the younger boy a rather apologetic smile before continuing. "Okay! Be back here in time for lunch, and we'll all go to a café or something! The bus's gonna take us back to Paris, and then we'll just do whatever! Got it?" At a few nods coupled with blank stares, Lavi sighed dramatically. "If you need help getting your tour, just come talk to me."

It was always surprising to see just how many people either couldn't or wouldn't figure out how to pay for a guided or self-guided tour. After sorting through the multitudes, it left him with an almost irate-looking Kanda, but it was only out of the corner of his eye that he noticed that the Japanese teen was looking up at the building with something akin to apprehension.

"C'mon, Yuu-chan!" Lavi grabbed the other's arm, tugging him in the direction of the large palace and skirting around a rather bulky group of tourists. The younger boy tried to scowl, his lips quirking down almost pathetically at the corners. "History's my specialty!"

The long-haired boy made a "che" noise, but let himself be dragged towards the entrance without too much resistance. Lavi smiled to himself, taking the boy through the standard tour and doing a rather complicated dance around another group of tourists speaking in English too loud for the settings. He made an annoyed face at Kanda, who merely rolled his eyes, before proceeding to explain the details of another room, gesturing at the ceiling to indicate loftiness.

"All we've got left now is the Hall of Mirrors!" Lavi said excitedly, smiling widely at the younger boy. Contrary to his frown and scowl combination, Kanda had actually listened to him talk about the rooms and their significance and the kings and queens who had resided there at one point or another. "It's really pretty, 'specially when it's a nice day."

The other didn't answer, so Lavi merely tugged on his arm more insistently. The hall of mirrors, the most written-and-advertised part of the palace, was alight with the reflections of the sun, off of the mirrors and crystals and finery, and they stood in the entrance for a moment, merely looking at the sight. It was almost too much to look at, for the amount of light was almost, _almost_ eye hurting.

The redhead smiled, leading the Japanese teen into the room and leaving him to wander at his own discretion. Lavi walked the entire length of the hall once, turning to look behind him at the other occupants of the hall.

But the only one that held his attention was Kanda.

The lighting in the room had thrown his exotic cheekbones into sharp definition, the sparkles of light playing in the dark brown of his eyes and setting an almost blue tint to his dark hair. As Kanda turned his head to look at one of the crystal fixtures on the wall, his ponytail rippled over his shoulder, and Lavi found his eye following the motion, a soft smile playing at the corners of his lips. There were reflections of Kanda's face in almost every angle in the many mirrors of the palace, and the redhead let his eye flicker to look at each one for a moment.

When the younger boy had finally ambled to the end of the hall, Lavi was nearly convinced. He really had seen Kanda from every angle.

"What now?" Kanda asked lightly, and the older boy could almost catch the foreign lilt in his French. It made for a slightly more exotic sound, and he grinned to himself.

"We could do the grounds," Lavi offered, gesturing at a staircase. When he received no answer, he pressed, "The garden is still really pretty this time of year. Everything's only jus' startin' to turn."

The transfer shrugged, and the redhead took it upon himself to lead them out to the grounds, pointing out the things he had noticed before and even a few things that he hadn't. Allen waved at them from across a hedge, meandering over with an Asian girl with her dark hair in pigtails. They were both grinning, and it appeared as though the large group behind them had been wreaking havoc on the garden.

"Lavi! How are you?" the girl asked, her face lighting up with a smile. "I haven't seen you since the term started! What happened, do you just not like me any more?" She grinned, a teasing lilt to her voice.

"Ah, you caught me, Lenalee!" Lavi put a hand over his heart dramatically, leaning on Kanda for effect. It worked, since the younger student put on a mock angry face before turning to the longer-haired boy. "Ah, have you met Kanda yet?"

"No, but I've heard lots about him! You're the transfer from Japan, right?" She asked, looking up at Kanda with a pleased smile. "My name is Lenalee! Um, I not too sure if what I heard about your name was right, so you are...?"

"My name's Kanda," the long-haired boy replied shortly, and Lavi was surprised to hear that he hadn't snapped at her and had even tried to keep his tone somewhat even.

Lenalee smiled, giggling behind her hand as Allen rolled his blue eyes. "I think our tour just ditched us," he stuck out his tongue melodramatically, crossing his eyes. "Oh well."

"I think it was the other way around, Allen!" the girl said happily, pushing up her grey sleeve and glancing at her watch. "We've only got a li'l time left 'fore the bus leaves! I still wanted to go down the hall of mirrors again!"

Allen shook his head, laughing slightly. "But we've already been down it twice! The guards must think we're weird tourists or something!"

The Asian girl merely clapped her hands, smiling at both Lavi and Kanda. "It was nice to meet you, Kanda, but I want to see the hall while it's still sunny! It's so much more beautiful when there are sparkles of light everywhere..." She sighed, looking up at the palace.

"Lavi, what are we doing for lunch?" the white-haired boy asked as Lenalee merely gazed on the palace with slightly wondering eyes. "You said it'd be free-for-all, right? I'm so hungry..." He complained with a sound of mock-teasing.

"I dunno about lunch, actually," Lavi said distractedly, watching Kanda out of the corner of his eye. The Japanese boy had apparently picked up on the fact that he found it annoying when people walked on his blind side and had taken to his right instead, and the redhead still hadn't figured out why. "But if you're hungry, suck it up! You're _always _hungry!"

Allen laughed again, following the other girl as she dragged him towards the palace. "Alright, fine. See you later, then?"

"Yeah, sure," Lavi called at their retreating backs before turning back to Kanda. "You wanna keep walking?"

They walked in silence for a few more minutes, merely enjoying the nice day and the chatter of birds that filled the flower-scented air. Turning off into the side of the garden, they strolled leisurely through the garden, admiring the turning colors of the fall trees and the various flowers that lined the path.

"My little sister..." Kanda spoke suddenly, his gaze far away from the present; the redhead didn't prompt him as they walked, feet crunching on the gravel of the path. "She kept a garden back home..."

"Mm," Lavi made an agreeable noise, closing his good eye to let his face enjoy the warm glow of sunshine. The autumn air had a certain crispness to it, and he was sure he wanted to enjoy the warm weather while it lasted. "I tried to start a garden once," he admitted, cracking his green eye. "My plants all died 'cause Panda threw them out."

The corners of Kanda's lips curved into the beginnings of a smile, and they continued their walk in silence.

Around the corner, there was a wooden bench, and in an almost unspoken agreement, they both sat down. Lavi yawned, rubbing his eye tiredly and trying to blink the sleep away, and he was almost surprised to see Kanda stifle another yawn beside him. The sun was warm on his face, and he closed his eye in contentment, feeling not unlike a cat. The seconds slid into minutes, and it wasn't long before he heard the other boy's breathing even out, a sure sign that he was sleeping.

The last thing he registered before falling into sleep himself was that the bench was uncomfortable. But he was warm and tired and, well...

* * *

Lavi yawned, hearing a sound in his throat pop as he stretched his jaw. There was warmth on his shoulder, though the sunlight on his face had abated, and a piece of hair tickling his chin. He frowned, not opening his eye but trying to puzzle out the tickling feeling. He was sure his hair wasn't long enough to touch his chin, let alone tickle like what he was feeling at present. Cracking his eye and rolling his neck, he nearly jumped in surprise to find the younger boy's head on his shoulder, mouth slightly open and still very much asleep.

The redhead grinned fondly, tousling the Japanese boy's hair in an attempt to wake him up. He flipped his phone from his pocket, feeling a nervous jolt in his stomach.

The tiny LCD screen read 3:52.

And directly beneath that, there were several, _several _missed calls. Frowning slightly, he scrolled through the list, feeling the machine vibrate to announce the arrival of new voicemails. Allen had called a shitload of times, trying to figure out where he and Kanda were, no doubt. The bus had already left, no doubt, and that left him and Kanda at Versailles Palace with no way to get home.

Well, what better way to get home than spend Bookman's money?

Lavi smiled to himself, shifting on the seat and trying not to wake the other teen sleeping on him. He would probably get his ass kicked for letting the Japanese teen so close when he woke up, but it would be totally worth it. After dialing a number and letting the phone ring, he quickly ordered a town car and flipped it shut, pushing the other teen back into a sitting position and standing up to ease his stiff muscles.

"Yuu-chan, Yuu-chan..." He said softly, gently shaking the younger boy's shoulder. Sleepily the other's chocolate-colored eyes blinked open, and Kanda's lips twisted into a frowning scowl. "You awake?"

"Of course, idiot," Kanda answered gruffly, his voice slightly thick with sleep, and he let his gaze flicker around, as though trying to discern where he was. "What time is it?"

"Almost four," Lavi said easily, waving a hand nonchalantly and trying and failing not to snicker at the way Kanda bolted up on the bench. "I got a car for us. Driver'll be at the gate in five minutes."

The Japanese teen nodded slightly, running fingers through his dark bangs and shaking his head again, as though clearing the sleepiness from his system. Lavi smiled to himself, spinning on heel and walking a few paces away before returning, deciding not to mention the way the younger boy had been sleeping on him. Kanda's face was already slightly flushed from the knowledge that they had already missed the bus by — of all things — falling asleep on a bench, and it was cute to see the way his cheekbones were dusted with pink.

Lavi offered the younger teen his hand, and Kanda gave him a scathing look.

"Jus' tryin' to be nice," Lavi said innocently as the other boy pushed himself up and scowled.

"Let's just go," Kanda's frown deepened, the expression almost fierce. "I want to get out of here."

"Alrighty!" the redhead answered cheerily, tucking away the memory for later analysis. Or whatever.

He just _had_ to make sure to tease Kanda about it later.

* * *

Yup, didn't change the ending. It's still kinda iffy.

Whatever. Go read ST5 or I Spy or something. xD


	3. Bored

**LEE ISIDOR: **IT'S ME, YO. :o

**2. **It has been recently called to my attention that I remain one of the only people to actually read authors' notes, so I'll keep these short.

**3. **Hooray! Only like, a year later, Lee Isidor finally finishes editing a chapter of this for you all to read! :D I promise the next one won't take so long. Chapter four is done anyway, I just have to re-edit.. and stuff..

**4. **Slightly different from the original. You'll see. :D If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them. Mostly who the hell I'm going to pair Tyki with. Because it's just not working out so well in my plans. xDD

**Review**** Response**

**SuperGoatGrl: **Of course I like your reviews! They're fun to respond to and fun to read and you always have something to say that makes me either feel warm and fuzzy or laugh! Aa-hah-hah! Y'know? xDD

This chapter is still pretty close to the original too, but I think this one is more obvious that it's been changed. I mean, a whole chunk of the first fantasy is missing, and the beginning is completely re-written albeit based on what I had before... but I think it's better. It's a little longer too. I dunno, it's just not as crappy anymore. xDD And I agree - Kazana should play soccer. I don't like that word. I mean, hello, futbol americano has little to no _foot _action! Wtf! D:

Um... I'm working on that swashbuckling action, I promise. Just, very, _very _slowly and in small intervals. Hehe. I'll work on it? It'll get there someday. Maybe. Hopefully. I was about to type 'ho'fully. Hm. I promise I wasn't insulting you. xDD Thanks for your awesome review! :D

**Myaeve: **Well, I hope you're still a fan. xDD It's been so long, I wouldn't hold it against you if you totally decided to drop it. I mean, I would. I should stop being so lazy... :O You are _so _welcome for the story. I hope you like the chapter! Thanks for your awesome review! C:

**Soul Fang: **Well.. It's not your fault? xDD I'm glad you found it. Though, I'll be impressed if you find it _again _after waiting like, a year for this chapter. xDD Woo-hoo? Thanks for your awesome review! And dang, that rhymed. I'm so good.. ;D

**Vicky the Vampire: **I know, that would be totally scary in real life. I'm always super paranoid about that - if I miss the bus, what the hell am I gonna do? I'd probably break down sobbing and the French people would be like, '...god, another crazy american.. :/' Thanks for your awesome review!

**KikiKrisis: **You know me. Nothing is soon anymore... xDD I hope this chapter is still good the second time too! Thanks for your awesome review! C:

**wolfpup026: **They _are _a really cute pairing, but I just can't seem to make myself come up with a good plot to go along with it. Hmm. This is such a problem. And at least - with names like Miss Kitty and Mango Smoothie, you will _never _accuse Lavi of being boring. :D Thanks for your awesome review!

**Isabella and me: **Thank you for your compliments! And honestly, unless it's sunny and you have someone attractive reflected in the mirror, the hall of mirrors isn't as spectacular as I make it sound. -is shot- I mean... it's nice, and I would recommend Versailles to anyone! :D Which is the truth. Not a question. So yeah! Thanks for your awesome review!

**Devatron2000: **It's not soon. I'm sorry.. xDD But here's the next chapter, new and improved! Thanks for your awesome review! :D

**glon morski: **For some reason, your name sounds like something I should know the meaning of. Hmm. Problem. I'm drawing blanks. Anyway! Thanks for your awesome review!

**dogcollar600: **Yeah! LaviYuu! :DD I hope you like the chapter! Thanks for your awesome review! C:

_**Disclaimer**_**: I do not own DGM. Nor would I want to. Too much work. Also, this chapter is the new reason this story is rated M. Read at your own risk. If Tyki's dirty mind isn't your cup of tea, shove off, okay? Don't say I didn't warn you...**

* * *

**Chapter Three: Bored**

Occasionally during the day, Tyki found himself wondering why in the world he had chosen to become a teacher, of all things.

Aside from the fact t hat it was pretty easy and he was good at what he did, he really could have been doing something _interesting _with his life. Like being a supermodel or a tour book writer or a linguist. At least with those jobs he would have been able to travel around the world. Being stuck in one place, no matter how historic and interesting Paris was, was just not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

Tyki yawned, stretching his arms over his head. His first two classes had passed uneventfully, as usual, so he was stuck with an off period for a while. None of the students' parents cared enough to ever contact him – which was what he was supposed to use his off period for, talking to parents that cared – so he had nothing to do. Except maybe stare at the kids passing his classroom and wonder what the hell he was going to do with himself.

Passing periods, he decided mentally, were the worst. Some students he recognized – and other he knew he _should _have recognized, waved at him as they passed, and sometimes he would wave back lazily. Most of the time he tried to look too busy to wave. There _were _papers that needed grading, after all. He was an honest teacher, too – no matter how much he was bribed, everything was the same in his eyes. Papers, projects, notes; no work, no credit. That was his policy and, for the most part, he stuck to it.

The essays from the last unit were still stacked in a neat pile on his desk. He needed to get started on them – but it was boring. Not during this period. He would do it later. Tyki sighed, pushing himself away from the table and stretching his long legs. A smoke would be good, he decided, and maybe he would find someone else off this period.

He shoved his hands in the deep pockets of his pants — designer jeans for the day, since he could afford to be casual whenever he felt like it — and scuffled from the room, dragging his feet in the hallways. His hair, dark brown, thick and wavy, fell into his startlingly golden eyes; that morning he had been in a bit of a rush and hadn't bothered to put it back. It hadn't turned out to be the best decision – now locks were falling into his face and tickling his skin something awful. Annoying. Tyki passed a group of students, then another.

Now: where was he going to spend the next hour?

Changing directions mid-step, the teacher nodded to a group of giggling girls, not bothering to hide a smirk. Sure, most of the girls were cute and all, but he had been seeing the same thing since _he _had gone through the school years ago. The same preppy, Barbie-goes-to-boarding-school-types. Even most of the guys looked the same. Short hair, sunglasses, car keys. There were a few exceptions, but really, for the most part, everyone was the same, day in and day out.

There were exceptions – like that new transfer kid from Japan and the few kids who weren't European or American looking. _Especially _that transfer.

He smirked, trying to ignore the groups of students he had to dance around. It was hard when he was trying to think about all the hot students he knew. Yes, that transfer was a fucking _hot _piece of ass. He wouldn't mind getting some of that pale skin under his fingers, not one bit. Personally, he was starting to prefer men a little more than women. Women were too hard to understand, but sometimes it depended. It helped if the men were attractive, though.

Just like that Japanese kid — he was gorgeous, with thick, straight hair and smoldering dark eyes. Not very many men were _that _pretty.

Tyki hid his smile behind his hand, pushing the door to the one of the calculus classrooms open and letting his eyebrows rise on his forehead. Cross, his long red hair fanning out behind him and feet propped on his desk, was smoking nonchalantly, like he had every right to in the school, and he waved at the younger man through the cloud of secondhand smoke.

"'Sup, Tyki?" He said slowly, taking a deep breath. The Portuguese man liked to think he could hear it rattling in the other's lungs, but that was probably an exaggeration. "You need something?"

"Can I bum a smoke?" He slid into a desk in the front row, tapping his fingers against the hard wood and grinning. "Or do I have to get my own, _professor_?"

The long-haired man chuckled, tapping the box of nicotine sticks against the table until one had slipped out, and he offered it to Tyki with a lopsided grin. "Nah, you can have one this time. You owe me, though."

"Yeah, yeah..." The younger man swiped the gold lighter sitting on the desk and flipped it open, lighting the end of his cigarette and watching it burn red hot as he inhaled. Smoke filled his lungs, burned the back of his throat, and he held his breath, crossing his eyes to watch it leak from his nostrils. A grin tugged at his lips, and he exhaled, letting the smoke gush from his mouth and warm his throat. "I'm bored."

"Mm." The older man made a noncommittal noise, jerking his head and taking another long drag on his cigarette. "Yeah. Being a teacher is boring."

Tyki snickered, coughing as he inhaled ash. He knew why Cross had become a math teacher, all right. If his memory hadn't failed him, the man's exact words had been 'because all the girls seem to need help with math.' He inhaled a few more times, clearing his lungs completely before taking another heady drag of his cigarette and trying not to cough as the smoke tickled his throat.

"I'm bored," he repeated finally, splaying his limbs out and trying not to focus on anything. It was relaxing and it helped get the kinks out of his shoulders.. "Bored, bored, _bored_."

"We should do something about it," Cross said evasively, stubbing out the end of his cigarette against a paper. The paper made an odd hissing noise, leaving behind a black burn mark, and the redhead flicked the end of his cigarette towards the trash can. It fell short, and the man sighed before pushing away from his desk to go throw it away.

"Yeah," Tyki agreed, flicking his own cigarette with his fingers to dispel the ash that had collected on the end. Some kid was going to find himself with a desk full of ash later. "We should definitely do something about it."

The odd pair was silent for a long moment, and Tyki watched the second hand of the clock make two full circles before he let his gaze flicker back to the redhead. Cross looked half asleep, head tilted back in the chair and arms crossed over his chest.

"I bet I can pick up more students than you can by the end of the semester," the older man said with a hint of mocking, his head snapping back up and the tiny pair of glasses slipping on his nose. "How much you wanna bet?"

"You're _on_," the Portuguese man leaned forward, suddenly feeling a lot less bored. It had been a good idea to visit Cross, he decided briefly, smirking to himself. "I've seen some hot students this year."

"Mm, yeah. I've seen that transfer. It's just too bad he's not female," Cross sighed almost wistfully before smirking. "If you bag the transfer, I'd definitely give you an automatic win."

"Deal," but don't give me any crap when I win. What are we betting on, anyway?" Tyki smirked. "Smokes for a month? Twenty bucks?"

"Lame," Cross shook his head. "Bragging rights for a month would be lame too. I don't know. We'll have to figure that out later. What do you think?"

Tyki nodded. "Hey, at least I won't be so fucking _bored _now." He paused, taking another long drag on his cigarette. "I'll visit you tomorrow? Same time?"

"And _you _bring the smokes," the redhead grinned.

Suddenly his day was looking so much more interesting.

X x X

* * *

X x X

His bet with Cross had suddenly given him endless opportunities to entertain himself. His third period class was the most interesting one he had, with the Bookman Junior and the transfer and a few faces that he had yet to put with names. He just didn't really care who they were if they weren't attractive as hell. Or rich. Or some combination of the two, like _he _was. Sometimes, beauty was a curse – but in his case, he liked to think, it was a _sin_.

Tyki smiled to himself, watching the way his students interacted with each other. He had assigned a project the day before, and then decided to be generous – read: lazy – and gave them class time to work on it. That left him with nothing to do because he sure as hell wasn't going to actually do productive things and grade papers. Honestly, all he could really do was cup his chin in his hand and watch. Sometimes his students were so funny when they were all together.

He cupped his chin in his hand, shifting to rest his elbow more comfortably against the hard wood of the desk. There was a pleasant fantasy playing out in his head, and he let it take over his thoughts, submitting to the image of his own classroom, empty save himself and the half-open door.

His fantasy self sighed heavily, setting the eraser to the whiteboard down on the ledge made for it and making himself busy tidying up the room. Cleaning had nearly been completed when the door was thrown open, revealing a flushed Kanda, who was breathing heavier than normal. He strode into the room with purpose, his eyes glued to the floor as he stopped, only a meter away from the desk.

"U-um, Mikk?" He asked quietly, looking up from the floor. Despite his foreboding demeanor, his voice was oddly unstable, as though he wasn't sure what he was saying. "Can I..." His throat worked furiously as he swallowed, a nervous sign. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

His fantasy Kanda's face was flushed pink, the blush darkening as Tyki made his way around the desk, standing closer to the young man than he would have the guts to do in broad daylight in his own classroom. "You can always talk to me, Kanda," he said easily, looking down on the younger man with a soft smile. "But call me _Tyki_. You know I don't like being called Mikk."

The long-haired boy's hands were twisting uncomfortably, and he smiled, watching him carefully. There was a heavy silence between them for a few seconds before the teen looked up, an almost uncertain look in his dark brown eyes. The flush hadn't dissipated from his cheeks, and his fantasy self put his hands on Kanda's shoulders, leaning closer to his face with a worried expression.

"Are you feeling alright, Kanda?" Tyki asked him quietly, leaning closer for a better look at the student's face. "You look so flushed... Are you sure you want to talk right now?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Kanda answered almost too quickly, and the teacher frowned at him. The young man tilted his face slightly, shifting in the older man's grip before coming to a quick decision.

The long-haired teen stood on tiptoe, his fist suddenly clenching on his fantasy self's button-down, bringing his face low enough to plant a hesitant, chaste kiss on the brunette's lips. "I-I...!" Kanda's face had turned all-but beet red, the tips of his ears looking not unlike curls of raw beef, and he turned away, looking more than a little embarrassed.

"Wait," Tyki said slowly, grabbing the smaller young man's arm as he turned away, blushing so readily that it looked almost unlike the transfer student, even if it was just a fantasy. "...don't go," he continued, folding the younger man into an embrace before tilting his face back up and kissing him back, his own way of returning the favor.

The Japanese student seemed to melt in his arms, legs getting weak with the older man's prolonged kiss. Their lips broke with a wet sound, and the teacher wasted no time in kissing Kanda again, again, again, each one longer than the last. By the time he had deemed it prudent to stop, the younger teen's lips were red and swollen, and his breath was coming in quick pants.

"What was it you wanted to tell me?" Tyki spoke against the younger man's lips, trying not to smile. The young man turned his head to the side slightly, a blush gracing his exotic cheekbones. "It's fine if you don't want to tell me..."

There was really no way he would ever get Kanda to blush like that. It looked like his face was going to explode. The fantasy was there – _gone_. Really. It was so improbable that it was practically _impossible_. He grinned to himself, watching as one of his students flagged him down.

"Hey, Mikk, can I ask you a quick question?" one of his students – a kid with sandy hair and an easy grin. Tyki nodded, looking up at him. "Okay, so if I'm going to make an outline like this, is that okay?"

He handed over a piece of paper and the teacher looked at it. "Yeah, that's fine. Make sure you don't use all this text on the slides, though. It's too much clutter." Tyki nodded, pointing at one of the boxes. "You'd want a picture here."

"What about here too? I mean, this picture's from Europe, right?" the kid asked hopefully, producing another piece of paper from his stack.

Tyki let out a startled laugh, shaking his head. "Do you not recognize the Saint Stephens Basilica?"

The student laughed nervously. "Uh… Should I?"

"Better go research if you're going to pass this class," the teacher said, only half joking.

"Yes! Right!" the kid clapped his hands and disappeared back into the back of the classroom.

He tried to go back into the fantasy, but the image of Kanda blushing like that – that it would never, _ever _happen – was still too fresh. He couldn't slip back into the fantasy so easily. How old was Kanda, anyway? If there was too much of an age difference between them, he wouldn't feel so great about bagging him. He was only twenty-four, and more than ten years was too much. Then it would be just – not _right_. The transfer was older than fourteen right?

"Hey, Mikk!" Someone called across the room, snapping him out of this momentarily self-induced reverie. "Can I boot up one of the computers back here?"

Tyki sighed heavily, running a hand through his mussed curls and shrugging his shoulders. "Sure, do whatever you want." Dumb kids. They couldn't do anything without him.

He let out a huffy breath, blowing a lock of his dark hair out of his eyes and shifting on the desk. The class was loud, but not obscenely so, and Kanda's group was close enough for him to hear their conversation; the redhead Bookman junior, Lavi, was arguing with him good-naturedly, and the other three members of their group looked some combination of dubious and annoyed.

"You _moron_!" Kanda groaned, hitting the redhead on the shoulder with a closed fist — not exactly a punch, but not a slap either. "I told you to go start up a computer for us!"

"But Yuu-chaaan!" Lavi complained, sticking out his lower lip in an over-exaggerated way. Tyki found his eyes drawn back to the dark-haired Japanese student as he narrowed his eyes.

"Do it! Do it before I fucking _kill_ you!" Well, at least he could curse eloquently. The teacher found himself wondering what kind of curses the young man would be spouting if they were fucking. Probably something along the lines of the f-bomb he had just dropped.

Lavi sprang into a mock-salute, nodding his head crisply. "Aye-aye, mon capitaine!" The redhead pranced towards the back of the room, followed by one of the girls in their five-person group. "Ah, Michele, what do you think we should do about the..." His voice was swallowed in the clatter of the classroom, and the teacher smiled to himself.

He had been tracing Kanda with his eyes for a good minute or so, trying to commit his features to memory. His straight, black hair fell in into his chocolate-colored eyes, thick bangs shining with just a hint of some other color — perhaps blue? — under the harsh fluorescent lights. He had exotic cheekbones, shaped differently than the many decidedly French faces around him, and Tyki found his eyes drifting lower, focusing on his thin lips for a moment — he was positive that with a few good, rough kisses, they would turn plump and deliciously pink — before finally drifting lower. The transfer was wearing a white t-shirt with a v-neck underneath his half-buttoned uniform jacket, revealing a black cord with what looked like a tooth hanging from it, a blue bead on either side of it. It wasn't tight-fitting, much to his disappointment, and he let his gaze drift slowly lower.

"Mikk!" That same fucking kid called across the room, and he let his eyes snap back up, trying to make it a little less obvious that he had been seriously checking out one of his students just moments before. "The computer's acting funny!"

"Use a different one, then!" He called back, hearing the annoyance in his own tone. "It's _your _project!"

"Yeah, yeah..." The kid sighed, shaking his head and kicking the computer. "Work, you piece of shit —!"

"_Language_!" He said angrily despite the smile tugging at his lips. None of the other students were paying him the slightest bit of attention, so he resumed his position of staring at Kanda.

He had plans to go boating some weekend soon, and he had a sudden thought of Kanda chasing after his boat... Aw, what a fucking _cutie_. Another fantasy was playing out in his mind, and he closed his eyes, watching the scene as though it were a movie.

His boat, something his half-brother Sheryl had gifted him with a while back, was sitting innocently in the harbor. He hadn't touched it in weeks. Another fantasy started – this one on his favorite place: his boat. There was something so peaceful about being out on the ocean. His fantasy self was shirtless, wrapping a rope around the mast of the small craft before turning to raise the plank-bridge connecting his boat to the dock.

Another fantasy Kanda was standing at the end of the connecting bridge, his impossibly dark hair in its usual flawless ponytail. The end was whipping in the imaginary wind, and he watched himself brush his sweaty tendrils of wavy hair out of his eyes, a smile lighting his lips.

"Kanda! To what do I owe the pleasure?" He smiled, dusting his hands off on his loose black pants and straightening his back. His fantasy Kanda was still clad in his school uniform, the jacket only half-buttoned and wearing the same white shirt and necklace as he was during class. His pale cheeks were flushed, and his breath was quicker than normal, as though he had been running. Tyki lowered the plank again, allowing the younger man to climb aboard his vessel before Kanda spoke.

"I-I..." The young man's voice shook before he raised his head, eyes filled with liquid determination. "I heard you were leaving for the weekend."

At the words, Tyki nodded, feeling himself do the motion in real life as well. Hopefully none of his more observant students were watching. His fantasy self smiled wider, scratching the side of his head. The wavy, sweaty locks of his hair were sticking to his face, and he pushed them away. The teen gave him a wholly delicious look, most likely unknowingly, as he peered up from beneath his lashes. It was almost seductive, and even in the fantasy, he had to stop himself from just crushing their bodies together and fucking his student on deck, in broad daylight for the whole of Paris to see.

After all, don't they say that Paris is the city of lovers?

He led Kanda down to the living part of his small boat, pulling up a chair and motioning to the bed with his chin. "Sorry, there's not much on here," he admitted, half-smiling sheepishly. "You can take the bed; it's more comfortable anyway."

Kanda shot him a half-incredulous look before sitting down on the edge of the bed, a heady flush rising in his cheeks. He was silent for a long moment, fidgeting with his fingers and the edge of his uniform jacket, and the older man sighed almost impatiently.

"Was there something you wanted, Kanda?"

At the words, the young man's face lit up with a blush, and he turned his head, obviously embarrassed. Tyki had to wonder how his mind was coming up with all of this, even as the long-haired young man turned his head back around, eyes suddenly filled with the same liquid determination. "I was wondering..." He spoke softly, still fidgeting, and then fell back into silence.

"Go on," Tyki prodded, leaning forward interestedly. What could have been so horrible that it would make even the usually-stoic Kanda blush? "If you want something, I'm here to help you."

"It's just — I want you so bad!" Kanda blurted out, his face turning red at the pause that ensued. Suddenly the young man's eyes widened as he realized what he had said, and he clapped his hands back over his mouth with a horrified look. The words sunk in for a moment, and Tyki could feel himself getting hard off of the idea even outside of his fantasy. Kanda _wanted _him.

The fantasy was progressing rapidly; he noted as he half-watched his class. His fantasy self was throwing Kanda down to the bed, kissing him roughly and leaving the younger male panting for breath. Clothes were flying, and Kanda was moaning and — and — holy _fuck _was he getting turned on. Tyki found himself suddenly wondering when his pants had become uncomfortably tight in the crotch, and when he had resumed staring at Kanda. God — _God_, was he seriously going to have to jerk off between classes?

That was sad.

Tyki sighed to himself, trying to ignore the nearly painful sensation stemming in the crotch of his pants; he shifted his legs, trying to distract himself, and merely watched the students for a while longer. As soon as the bell rang, he would lock himself in his office and take care of the problem, but not a second before. 'Sides, watching Kanda was keeping him horny as fuck anyway. Or maybe it was all because of that stupid bet with Cross?

Whatever. The bell to signal the end of class was ringing, loud and obnoxious in his ears, and he shifted again. Goddamn, why did all the kids in his class have to take forever to leave? And, for the love of fucking God, why was Kanda approaching his desk?

_Couldn't he tell it was a bad time_?

The Portuguese man gritted his teeth, sinking them into the tip of his tongue to keep himself from saying anything unnecessary – or embarrassing. Or anything along the lines of the fantasies that were still fresh in his subconscious mind. He let his gaze flicker from the annoyed expression on Kanda's face, trying to think of things that were decidedly un-sexy. Like moldy bread and old women with more wrinkles than laugh lines and the dirt caked under his fingernails after he helped Rhode in the garden.

"Mikk? Can I ask you a quick question?" Kanda asked sourly, with almost identical wording to his fantasy. The older man found himself wondering what the boy could possibly want, trying to keep his eyes from straying too much.

Maybe he could ask the same fantasy questions. Maybe he'd ask —

"Sure, fire away," he answered nonchalantly, planting his elbows on the desk and leaning forward expectantly. One of the buttons on Kanda's uniform was coming loose, and he resisted the urge to fix it. Or maybe not fix it; maybe he would unbutton it further. That would be hot.

A frown marred the Japanese student's lips, and the words he spoke next had not been the ones he had been expecting. "I want out of Lavi's group."

Tyki's expression didn't change, stayed completely neutral, but his excitement plummeted at the words. Was that _it_? Damn! "Why? I mean, is there a problem?" He winced inwardly, recalling what he had observed. Obviously some people didn't know how to pick groups.

"Like hell there _isn't_!" Kanda said angrily, his lips twisting as he spoke before returning to a frown. "I have nothing against Lavi, but I can't let my grade be affected by his inability to _get work done_."

The teacher nodded, half-smiling. "I'll see what I can do." Grades, huh? Maybe he could use that to his advantage some day.

"Don't be late." Tyki made an off-hand motion towards the door, and he scowled. The two-minute bell chimed across the campus, and Kanda looked up from the older man, looking alarmed.

"Fuck!" Kanda ran out the door, leaving it to swing shut behind him, and the Portuguese man found himself staring at its wake far longer than he intended.

He felt his lips twisting into something resembling a smile, looking down with the twisting of amusement in his gut.

"Fuck indeed."

* * *

Kept the original ending.. xDD

REVIEW. :D


	4. Busy

**LEE ISIDOR: **OH YEAH. IT'S ME.

**4. **I finally picked up chapter five. It's not that much done, but it's getting there. Especially since ST is done through 11 and I Spy6 is more than half done. I've been working like crazy. I hope you all are super proud of me, because I am. :O

**8. **If anyone needs something good to write to, I recommend LOTR. The whole series is great to half-watch half-write-to. Really. xDD

**12. **I have a few new story ideas, but I'm going to hold off for a bit. But! I really might be churning out an OC fic soon. I have one in mind that I already made for another OC fic and one that someone has kindly already sent... but I'm either going to need some, like I've mentioned, or I'll just make up all my own. In case ya'll haven't noticed, I'm pretty good at that. xDD

**16. **Cutesy chapter ahead! Raaawr! C: The ending is a little abrupt, but that's because dinner makes up a lot of the _next _chapter. You'll see what I mean later...

**20. **Last one, I promise. If anyone has something they want to happen, please share. I have no plot in mind for this story, but I don't want it to die like HtC.. :/

**Review**** Response**

**Hikaru S.:** Oh, don't worry about it. I get that sensation all the time. Half the time, I look for my penname in review responses and then I go 'Whaa?' and I feel sad because I got no response because I forgot to click 'send' or something. xDD And I might've changed the characters. I don't remember. My computer is acting up about me posting things, so I had a friend do it for me, and she might've put Tyki and Kanda instead of Lavi and Kanda, which is still the main pairing. Of course, I might end up with some _other _TyKan because Tyki might end up with Kanda's older brother. Hah! xDD And yes, Tyki is such a creeper teacher. It's only going to get better, though... ;DD So yeah. Thanks for your awesome review! C:

**Super Goat Grl: **I will admit, I am a little intimidated by the length of this review. xDD

I'm so glad I'm not the only one that reads author's notes! I just like to read _everything_, so I end up reading it and going 'Huuuh.. okay, I don't get it' and then moving on most of the time. xDD How could I _not _get a kick out of your reviews? They're long and interesting and I giggle and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside to read them. A line break goes here because I'm putting on the last LOTR movie and I will lose my train of thought otherwise.

I'm super glad you liked the new fantasies too! I actually cut one out, if anyone remembers it, the one on the boat, and I added some more to the other ones, and I re-wrote the conversation between Tyki and Cross... and lots of things. And Kanda would _never _act like that. Ever. In his life. And that 'curls of raw beef' line I lifted _straight _from a Harry Potter book. xDD I can't remember which one, but at one point, it describes Ron's ears as turning into curls of raw beef, and it's always stuck with me. So yeah. xDD

I felt like Cross is more believable now. And straight-er. Because, for some reason, even though he really does feel like someone bisexual to me, it just feels more correct to have him hitting on female students. And Kanda, because Kanda can just be hit on by anyone attractive and it is perfectly acceptable to me. xDD You don't need to like him. It's all good. I have to admit though, after I read Eyeshield 21, I'm starting to like football. It's strange. I've never watched rugby before, but I'm such a mother type, I would end up getting all worried about the players and their injuries than actually watching... Heee.

Don't hold your breath for that swashbuckling. I need some plot - and a few good pages of plans - before I start that one up again. I'm really trying, but I'm gonna need some good free time to sit down and figure everything out before it gets anywhere. But feel free to stick a review about I Spy anywhere - as long as I get to read it, I am happy. :D

Your review was monstrous, and made me monstrously happy, so it's only natural that your reply is also monstrous and again, made me monstrously happy. xDD Thank you so much for your awesome review! Hehe.

**Hikaru S.: **Aah! I should have just added this to the other response. xDD Don't worry about it - I spell words wrong all the time, even with my firefox spellchecker, and then I post my review and go 'Damn I look stupid - I just spelled 'the' as 'teh.'' So yeah. xDD Thanks again? :D

**Tysunkete: **You are one hundred percent correct. There is no one as damn awesome as Tyki. C: Thanks for your awesome review!

**Myaeve: **I loved Cross and Tyki's bet. It really gives me something to work off of. xDD I'm glad you liked it so much! :D I promise to try and update forever, even though usually I'm not the fastest updater. I'm kind of the slowest, actually. Oops. xDD Anyway, thank you muchly for not dropping this. And cheer for whoever you like - even though it won't really change how things end up in the end. Hmm. Maybe I used end too much in that sentence. Oh well. xDD Thanks for your awesome review!

**KikiKrisis: **I feel like I'm on a writing _roll _right now. This is getting updated this weekend, I Spy will probably be updated next weekend, and ST will most likely be the weekend after that. Man. I feel so accomplished. xDD I'm glad you love it! Thanks for your awesome review! C:

**marufu-chan: **I know, it was _forever_. I'll try not to let it go that long again, but I don't want to make any promises... xDD Thanks for your awesome review!

**Hiwatari-Angel-15: **No problem. I think I recognize your name without the profile icon picture next to it. xDD I'm glad you thought it was so epic! I enjoyed it too, actually... xDD And it's no problem about the clumping chapters - as long as I get sommat, I'll be happy. :D And you are _so _right. It _will _be beautiful in the end, even though I don't have an end planned out. Hmm.. I should work on that. Thanks for your awesome review!

**NaussicaVOW: **Thank you for your compliments! I'm not a fast updater, but I'll try. xDD Thanks for your awesome review!

**Voltairey: **Your name reminds me of Candide. xDD Hehehe. Man! I remember printing out stories like that too! I've definitely done the same thing. I took mine with me to the dentist, and everyone looked at me funny when I popped out a red pen and starting doodling all over my papers. xDD And I think I do know how fun it would be to read about Tyki's dirty mind in English. Except the other day, we just had a discussion about sex and wooing women in my English class, and I gotta admit, that was pretty fun too. xDD I'm so glad it made your day, though! xDD

Not to sound conceited or anything, but I think I'm pretty confident in my ability to make you like TyKan. xDD I've converted a whole bunch of people, and since our fandom is pretty small, most of the TyKan is written by me anyway, so... Yeah. Dunno how much TyKan we're gonna get in this story, since it is going to be predominantly LaviYuu, but we'll see. Of course, we might get a _different _flavor of TyKan if Tyki ends up with Kanda's older brother, which might happen. It's a thought I'm considering... xDD

Peace, love, and nipples right back at'cha, even though there is a serious lack of the latter in this chapter. How disappointing. xDD I'll make sure to remedy that in the future. Anyway! Thank you for your awesome review! It really made me smile.

**InsaneYuki: **Not sure how far Tyki's infatuation is going to go, but I'm working on it. Hmm... xDD Thanks for your awesome review! :D

_**Disclaimer**_**: I do not own DGM. Nor will I. Ever. Because, not to insult anyone, if I owned DGM, these chapters would make a lot more sense than they do. And Kanda would not really be eight years old or whatever. Rooooar. D:**

**

* * *

Chapter Four: Busy**

Talk about flipping the switch.

Only a week ago, he'd had enough time to blow off his homework, sit around the common room and do nothing, and at least talk to people from time to time when he felt like gracing them with his presence. Now, he was too freakin' busy to even piss, and it was starting to get to him — the boarding school he was at wasn't prestigious for nothing, all right. All his classes seemed to be on the crackdown and it wasn't helping that he had two different research projects and a paper to finish over the weekend _and _Lavi wanted him to go out to Paris with him and Allen again.

Kanda frowned, scratching the end of his nose with the eraser on his pencil. The Civil War over in the Americas had started when, exactly? His mind whirled frantically, trying to supply the date, and he mentally cursed the class. History seemed to be his worst subject so far, and it was really bringing him down. All of his other classes were high A's, like his scholarship mandated him to have, but in history... he was maybe averaging a middle B. And that wasn't good.

Especially since if he got anything below that B, he was _totally _kicked out.

"Yuu-chan!" Lavi called to him from across the room, and he sighed, running a hand through his messy ponytail. Homework had him repeating the motion more than a few times, and his hair was a ragged mess because of it. "Do you need some help with the history?" He asked, sliding into the seat beside him and lowering his voice dramatically.

The long-haired boy sighed, pushing at the desk. Yes, he needed help, but he didn't want to admit it, least of all to Lavi. The redhead had been extra nice to him for the past week or so, and he wasn't sure why; it was kind of starting to bug him.

Without waiting for an answer, Lavi leaned over his arm to point at one of the questions on his sheet. "The president of the Confederacy was Jefferson Davis, and the main general was Robert E. Lee," he said easily, glancing back up at him as though he expected Kanda to write it down.

Grudgingly, the Japanese transfer let his pencil glide across the paper to fill in the answers the redhead told him. History really wasn't his best subject, but he _tried_, dammit. At least he got credit for trying.

If only he got grades based on trying too.

"How do you know all this stuff?" Kanda asked softly, listening as the other talked about the Americas and their pre-war problems. The redhead paused, raising his eyebrows at the blank span of questions that were still, well, blank. "I'm working on it," he muttered, scribbling down what he remembered.

Lavi leaned back in the chair, shrugging his slim shoulders. "I dunno. I just remember things really well — and history's the class that pays off 'cause of it."

Not exactly the answer he was looking for, but it was good enough. The younger boy made a noncommittal sound, doodling in the margins of his page. The redhead at his side took a deep breath, single green eye studying the page diligently.

"Are you going to sit there, or are you going to help me?" Kanda asked finally after a few longs minutes of silence. Lavi looked up, pencil in hand, and half-smiled, not answering the question. "I have other things to do too," he said, trying not to sound too ungrateful.

"I know! I was just thinking — you haven't been to the Eiffel Tower yet, have you?" the older boy looked at him with something akin to excitement. "If I help you with the rest of this, will you climb it with me this afternoon?"

"You mean _mount_," someone across the room snickered. "That's what all the adults say. 'Have you mounted her yet?'"

Kanda didn't turn his head; he merely gripped the pen in his hand more tightly and graced the other with the harshest look he could possibly muster. He wasn't exactly sure when he had traded his pencil for a pen, but the lack of eraser was excruciatingly apparent as he scratched the end of his nose with the plastic of the writing utensil. "I have _other _things to do, Lavi."

"What kind of other things?" Lavi's innocent smile had to be a façade — he _had _to know about the horrific projects and papers and _crap_ the long-haired boy had to finish before the end of the weekend. "Yuu-chan, you know it's a three-day holiday this week, right?"

The Japanese transfer froze, pen poised inches from the paper. "_What_ did you just say?"

The redhead yawned, turning his back on Kanda and stretching his arms with languid slowness before he turned all the way back around and blinked his single green eye sleepily. "Hm? Whaddaya mean, Yuu-chan?" He blinked again, once, twice, green eye squinting as he smiled. "Is sommat wrong?"

The long-haired boy turned in his seat slowly, blood boiling. He was seriously going to _flip the fuck out _if he actually had three more days to work on his fucking projects and _nobody had bothered to fucking tell him about a holiday_. Lavi was giving him an odd look, as though his expression had just gone through two extremely murderous stages before relaxing again. He smoothed the furrow in his brow, trying to relax his expression into something mildly pleasant. "What were you saying?"

"About what?" Lavi asked, leaning back and examining the back of his hand nonchalantly. The other gritted his teeth in annoyance, but the redhead merely smiled and pointed to a spot on the paper. "You missed a question here, Yuu-chan."

Kanda sighed heavily, aiming a half-hearted glare at the redhead. He scribbled a few words near the empty question's blank, looking up grudgingly when he was finished. "About the fucking _holiday_?"

"Oh, that?" the older boy leaned back in his chair, chewing on the end of a pencil. Kanda snatched it out of his hands, glaring at him and wiping the spit off on the other's jacket. "Yeah. We've got three days off this week — you know, because of that whole 'board of trustee' thing that's going on?"

No. He hadn't heard about that.

Half-glaring out of the corner of his eyes, the Japanese student shuffled his papers around, trying to figure out what he was supposed to work on next. If he had three extra days to work on all those projects, then he could definitely spend a little more time planning which one was most important and which was most time-consuming, and how he was going to work on them around his schedule, and —

He looked up suddenly, furrowing his brow and frowning. "Board of trustees? What does that mean?"

The redhead sighed, suddenly looking a bit more downcast. "You know, all the rich bastards that fund the school come up and have dinner and meetings and all that jazz. I'm pretty sure _my _old man's gonna show up — I've told you a bit about my grandpa, Bookman?"

At the prompt of the older boy's raised eyebrow, Kanda nodded. "Yeah, pretty sure you've mentioned him 'fore..." He winced at the slang he was picking up — it seemed to be integrating itself into his speech no matter how hard he tried to stay grammatically correct.

"We're going to the Eiffel Tower today," Lavi said with a note of finality. "I'm calling a car, and me and you are going." When the Japanese transfer opened his mouth to argue, the redhead gave him a stern look. "I'll give you half an hour if you want to change, but then we're _going_."

Kanda closed his mouth smartly, watching with a slightly dumbfounded look as Lavi walked away, head high and making a beeline for the stairs. "Got it, Yuu? _Half an hour_!" With that, the older boy was gone, and he was left blinking rather stupidly after him.

Well... if he didn't have a choice... Kanda's eyes were drawn to the clock, gauging the time expertly. If it was roughly ten-twenty, he had until... eleven. Muttering under his breath, the younger boy began to gather up his papers, looking over each one carefully and attempting to begin a schedule in his head. When he got back, the essay was first, and then the other two. Maybe the one for history he would do second, for no other reason than the fact that he didn't want to ever have to stay after and talk with Tyki again. It was downright _disrespectful _to address a teacher by first name, in his opinion, but the older man had insisted... Shaking his head at a strangled yell from someone else in the room, he trudged up the stairs and headed towards his single.

He was already wearing a standard pair of jeans and a t-shirt, but he grabbed a black jacket from where it was hanging on his desk chair. From what he had heard, the top of the Eiffel Tower was cold, even during the summer, 'cause it was so high up. Searching the room for his wallet took a few extra minutes, and finally he slipped the grey thing into his back pocket — after checking it for the money it was supposed to hold. Check, he had roughly twenty euros and some spare change. His dorm key was slipped into his pocket next, and it was from there that he decided to put his shoes back on and go back to the common room.

"Kanda! Lavi's looking for you..." Across the room, Kazana half-waved at him, lounging in a chair with a book draped over the top of his chest. _Dante's Inferno_, the title read. "Jus' thought you should know 'fore he throws a fit or sommat. He does that sometimes."

The long-haired boy half-nodded, half-quirked his eyebrows. How _old _was Lavi anyway? Oh yeah — he had to remind himself. The redhead had the mental capacity of a _two _year old. Or maybe the emotional capacity. Whatever, he didn't exactly have time to ponder the logistics. Lavi had stomped through the door to the populated room dramatically, shooting a wide grin at the long-haired boy. Kanda merely gave him an odd look in return, even as the other dashed across the room to grab his arm and begin dragging him out of the room — with said population watching them like they were some sort of tennis match that had only just gotten interesting.

"Lavi, what the fuck are you doing?" He all-but-growled, shaking his head. The other dragging him didn't respond for a long moment, merely pulled him out the door and into the parking lot. A sleek black town car was parked at the side, engine idling, and Lavi pulled him to it effortlessly — effortless because he had somehow forgotten that he was struggling.

The redhead threw the door open, tossing Kanda in behind it before climbing in the opposite side. "Can you take us to Montaigne?" Lavi spoke to the driver, grinning over the seat; the name rang a bell somewhere in his memories — wasn't that the shopping district? Or something like that? He frowned. Hadn't they been going to the Eiffel tower?

"Lavi, _where _are we going?" He asked softly, dangerously. He could practically hear the ice dripping from his own voice. The older boy turned to him with a sheepish expression, scratching the side of his head. "_Lavi_?"

"Don't you know your Paris geography, Yuu-chan?" He finally said sharply, smacking him on the top of the head with a map pulled from the seat in front of him. "The Montaigne is only a few blocks from the Eiffel tower."

Kanda shut his mouth with a snap, narrowing his dark eyes into a half-hearted glare. "You could have told me that _before _we left," he snapped after a pause, setting his jaw.

The redhead merely laughed. "I thought you knew! I mean, anyone who lives in Paris knows where Montaigne is..." He trailed off.

Kanda crossed his arms over his chest, determined to be silent for the entire trip. Teach Lavi to make a fool out of _him_...

* * *

They got out of the car, more in-step with each other than he would have liked to admit. It was a nice day; the sun was bright in a flawless, cloudless blue sky, high above their heads, the air was crisp with a tinge of fall despite the warmth from the rays, and the sights and smells of the large city – of _Paris_ – never ceased to amaze him. Back home it was like this – sometimes. Back home, they didn't have street cafés selling baguettes and Panini on the corners, didn't have the random artist walking with an easel tucked under their arm – he could have been going anywhere: To the metro station, to the Seine, to the Louvre. Paris was just too – too _big_; and it was a time like that, like that very day, that he actually felt a pang of guilt at having not been able to explore it thoroughly…

"The Montaigne is so much prettier at night, don't you think?" Lavi asked him easily, brushing a lock of red hair out of an impossibly green eye. The younger boy had to resist the urge to turn up his nose – how would _he _know? The redhead seemed to understand his tacit gesture and grinned, turning to look him in the eye. "You mean you've never seen the shopping district at night?"

Feeling that to argue would be useless, Kanda shook his head slowly. He took in the sights quietly, peering around the corners at the many bustling Parisians and the rapid influx of French all around him. There was even some English in the mix; a pair of tourists brushed passed them with smiles. He felt – maybe, maybe not unlike a tourist himself. "You know Paris isn't my native city," he said finally, resisting with some level of difficultly the urge to snap.

"Mmhm!" The older boy nodded enthusiastically. "I know you haven't. It's just… It's not right that you haven't seen all this and you live here, Yuu-chan," he admitted with an almost serious frown. It was strange seeing that kind of expression on Lavi's face; anything that wasn't a grin was… wrong. He shook his head, feeling long hair sweep behind him in an off-hand motion and watched out of the corner of his eye as the other's lips turned up at the corners. "We'll go to the Eiffel Tower today?"

"That's what you said we were doing," Kanda frowned, tossing his head to dispel the bangs that had fallen into his eyes. They were always doing that – maybe he needed a trim? "I don't know where else we would go in Paris."

At the redhead's grin and raised, wiggling eyebrows, the Japanese student frowned to himself. What had he said? Oh. Was it because he had used "we?" He shook his head again. Wasn't important, at least not enough to dwell on. "We could always go to the Louvre. And I think we should stay out for dinner – and then we could climb the Arc! You'd get to see the whole Montaigne all lit up!"

He had to stop his lips from quirking up at the corners. Even if he _had _asked Mikk to get out of Lavi's group in history – the kid was… was _fun_ to be around. Or maybe he was just being more tolerant than usual. "I don't like shopping," he said gruffly, hoping that would suffice as some kind of response.

"Really? Dang, you really pegged me as one of those girly guys who like to dress nice," Lavi teased, shaking his red mane and grinning. "Okay, so if we get to the tower soon, we shouldn't hit that much of a line… It's still too early in the season for there to be lots of tourists…" The older boy grabbed his arm and began to drag him towards a cluster of buildings with a large walkway between them. "You really should see it during winter, though. Especially during the break. We have so many tourists; we don't know what to do with 'em all!"

It took him a little longer to decipher the slang in the other's words; he nodded slowly as it finally clicked in translation. "Oh. We used to have a lot of tourists during break back home too…" He trailed off, glancing up at the buildings as they passed. There were some elaborate French words etched into the stone, but he couldn't read them. Reading French had never been his strong suit – speaking it was hard enough.

The older teen didn't say anything, and he wondered vaguely what had prompted him to admit that little detail. It was the same – the same kind of thing he had admitted at the Palace of Versailles. What exactly, _what _had prompted him to tell Lavi about his family back home? At least it wasn't some harebrained detail about his crazy-Asian parents and adoring little sister and maybe not-so-adoring older brother. The thought made his almost-pleasant expression twist into something decidedly not-so-much. His memories turned in a different direction – hadn't he heard his older brother mention the name Mikk before? Hadn't he –

"There she is, mon amie," Lavi grinned, saying the words with a obviously fake, ridiculously heavy accent. He made a wide gesture out, to the reflecting pool that rippled in a slight breeze, and Kanda found his eyes drawn to the majesty of the Eiffel Tower. The dark grey metal stretched towards the sky, rippling reflection in the pool of water at its feet, and the tower at the top disappeared into the nonexistent clouds. It seemed – and here he knew it had to have been a trick of the eyes – to bend towards the left, giving it another altogether ethereal appeal, and he had to admit, it was a beautiful structure.

The only thing that made his stomach turn was the thought of being at the top of it.

"C'mon!" Lavi urged, taking his arm again and tugging him towards the steps. There was a stone staircase that led to beside the pool, and they would have to cross another street before arriving at the base of the tower, but he wasn't going to admit the nagging little fear at the back of his mind that they were going to be crushed by a falling Eiffel Tower that had stood for who knew how many centuries. "We want to get there before the lunch rush. There's a café at the top, so a lot of people go there while they're sightseeing."

The long-haired teen looked up, up, up, wondering how someone could keep their appetite at the top of… _that_. He swallowed thickly, trying not to think about the height and just enjoy the walk; there were street vendors of every kind, selling anything from t-shirts to purses to postcards to bracelets and gaudy tourist-type jewelry. The younger boy's brown eyes were drawn to the line near the bottom, a brief thought of how much it would cost occurring to him.

"I'm paying, Yuu-chan," Lavi said as though reminding him; the redhead dragged him across the street as the light turned green and they joined the line almost immediately after. There were vendors dancing across the lines, trying to sell their wares; a man with a large smile proffered a stack of postcards at them, and the redhead shook his head. "I'm paying. You're here on scholarship."

"That doesn't have anything to do with this," Kanda argued, feeling the words die in his throat. It had been a long time since anyone had been that _nice _to him without due reason – and the redhead had just taken it upon himself to do… all of what he was doing. "I can pay for myself."

The older boy snatched the hand that was inching towards his back pocket, where he had stowed his wallet. "No, I insist," he said with a mechanical smile, one that was almost… creepy. "I'm going to pay, _Kanda_."

It was the use of his last name that made him freeze, hand stuck in the redhead's grasp. His grip was surprisingly strong, and Kanda frowned. "Let go, Lavi," he countered, wriggling his fingers in an attempt to dislodge the heavy grip. "Just because I'm on scholarship doesn't mean _anything_ –"

Lavi smiled, and this time the motion looked more normal, more like the usual smile he wore. "Then let me pay because I _want _to, Yuu-chan," he said, adding the suffix a second late, as though he had considered not using it at all. The thought made Kanda's cheeks heat up, not with embarrassment, but at the thought of being called by his _first name _by someone he didn't even consider to be a real friend. His real friends were at _home, _and not even his older brother had the gall to call him "chan" like that.

Kanda flinched. Maybe thinking about his older brother wasn't the best way to keep the day from taking a swift downward plunge. The older boy released his hand, giving the long-haired transfer a meaningful look. "Fine, whatever," he muttered finally as they moved up in line, just a few spots away from the booth. "I'll let you this time."

The redhead gave him a knowing look, and suddenly Lavi was dangling the other's wallet in front of his face – just how had he gotten it? "'Sides, Yuu-chan, you gotta save your money for the things that really matter. Like paying off teachers. We all know that how you get such good grades…" He smiled, erasing the tension with the single look, and Kanda sighed.

"Give me my wallet, you moron."

"Only if you admit it – hah! You missed me!"

* * *

Being at the top was exhilarating.

Kanda took a deep breath of the crisp air, enjoying the way it burnt his nose and stung down the back of his throat. He closed his eyes for a long moment, merely basking in the cool breeze that played across his face – it was a welcome relief from that crowded elevator that had made him nervous the entire ride up. And for that matter, he wasn't looking forward to the ride _down _either. Maybe they could open the stairs up just for him?

"The city looks so beautiful from up here," the younger teen spoke quietly from his left, peering through the protective bars with a wondering expression. "You know, the Eiffel Tower…" He trailed off, single eye catching something in the distance. "Hey! That's the Louvre, over there, can you see it?"

He pointed through the bars at the glass pyramids some distance away, and Kanda shook his head. "_That's _the Louvre?" The shiny glass was reflecting the bright sunlight, almost blinding him. How could Lavi stand to look at it so directly? "I thought it would be… bigger."

The redhead let out a bark of laughter, turning to face him with an amused expression. "The museum is _under _the pyramids, Yuu-chan. It's not the whole museum."

The long-haired teen could feel his cheeks heating up again, this time in embarrassment. "Oh." He turned away, trying to hide the self-conscious flush on his face. "Well…"

Lavi shook his head. "Takes people weeks to get through the Louvre, so we're gonna have to take it piece by piece," he grinned, flashing white teeth. Kanda wasn't sure when exactly he had started noticing things like the other's teeth, but… "And you have to see the Mona Lisa. And the Egyptian wing is always _really _cool – they even got a new mummy this year! And, of course, the statues are really nice, especially in the evenings, and the re-organization of Napoleon's quarters is _amazing_! Man, what I wouldn't _give _to have seen the real things…"

The Japanese boy shrugged his slim shoulders, merely looking out again. There were buildings in all directions, people who looked about as large as ants, and small cars zooming along the narrow streets. There was something oddly comforting about the city, something that made him… glad that it was his new home.

"I like Paris," he said finally, softly, more to himself than the older boy at his side. Before Lavi could question him, he walked along the grills and peered out as far as he could see on the cloudless day. The statement surprised even him – he had _hated _the city in the beginning. But now… now he had grown to like it, if even a little bit, and it was starting to feel…

Much as he hated to admit, Paris was starting to feel… like home.

Kanda allowed himself a small smile as the breeze played through his long locks, whipping them around his head. It wasn't as nauseating or as, well, _terrifying _to be up at such a great height as he had thought, and he actually found himself liking the great structure. The Eiffel Tower. _The _Eiffel Tower.

How much time had they passed, just staring out of the watch tower?

The long-haired teen reached back to the back pocket of his jeans, reaching for his wallet. He had a small watched connected to it, at all times, just in case he wanted to know what time it was, and his lips turned down into a scowl when his fingers met with only air.

"Lavi! Give me back my fuckin' wallet!" He hissed, careful not to curse too loudly around the children who were peering from over their parents' shoulders. The redhead turned to him with a grin, a mischievous sparkle in his green eye as he danced away. "Dammit, _give _it!"

"What are we going to do for dinner, Yuu-chan?" Lavi ignored him, tapping a finger on his chin and appearing as though deep in thought. "I was thinking maybe the café we passed earlier!"

Kanda growled, reaching for the leather wallet clutched in the other's hand. The redhead grinned, holding it over his head and, dammit, _flaunting _the fact that he was taller. "_Give me _my wallet, or I _swear to God_…"

"French, Yuu-chan. French. You know I don't understand a word of that Japanese gibberish you speak," the older boy chided, grinning. The long-haired boy snapped his mouth shut, flushing again. Even though Lavi probably _did _understand. He had mentioned something about knowing a lot of languages. "Oh, didn't even notice…?"

The other's hand lowered, wallet momentarily forgotten, and Kanda saw his chance. He snatched at the watch dangling from the end, unknowingly scooting himself closer to the redhead, close enough for him to pinch his waist teasingly. "Dammit, _give_," he insisted in crisp French, making sure not to growl. They were getting a few odd stares from the passerby, but for the most part, they were looking at them as though they… _belonged _together?

"Ah, Paris really is the city of romance!" A tourist said happily in English, her hands clasped in front of her. Lavi glowed down at him, face lit up with a smile. Kanda's fingers closed around his wallet, tugging, _tugging _it out of the other's grasp with a venomous glare.

"See, Yuu-chan? I'm not the only one who thinks you look a bit girly," Lavi said, much too close to his ear. The hot breath on his sensitive cartilage was making him shiver, goosebumps erupting on his arms. He pushed the redhead away, giving him another poisonous look.

"I am _not _feminine," he stumbled over the French word, tossing his high ponytail before realizing it was probably another semi-girly motion. "I'm ready to leave."

"If you say so, Yuu-chan," Lavi said in a sing-song voice, leading him towards the elevator. "So, we'll go out to dinner now?"

"And you're buying."

"Awah, Yuu-chan, I'm hurt…"

* * *

The café was warm and quiet. It was just the sort of place he liked.

If it wasn't so Goddamn _French_…

Everything French was back to pissing him off, thanks to that _tactless _tourist lady. She just _had _to go and insinuate that he and Lavi were a fucking _couple_, and now his whole day had just _plummeted_. The redhead sitting across the table from him yawned, fanning his open mouth with the menu.

"Aw, c'mon, Yuu-chan…" Lavi leaned forward, cupping his chin in his hands and leaning his elbows on the table. "Don't be upset 'cause that lady thought you were pretty –"

"Say another word and I'll shove this knife down your throat," Kanda threatened, brandishing the butter knife at the redhead. The older boy gave it a raised eyebrow for a second before hiding laughter behind his hand. He tossed his head again, lowering it as the waiter approached them with an odd look.

"Excuse me, sirs…" He began, and the long-haired teen graced him with an odd look. He had the typical French accent, speaking it as though there were no other language in the world that was good enough, and an upturned nose. "There is a man at the front who claims to know you."

"Oh, is that it?" Lavi laughed, lowering the menu and still snickering. "I thought you'd lost our orders or something like that…"

The waiter looked indignant for a moment. "No, sir. I just wanted to make sure we had your permission before we let this man come talk to you."

Kanda opened his mouth to tell the waiter – something along the lines of "tell whoever it is to go fuck themselves," but Lavi beat him to it. The redhead grinned, tilting his head. "Sure! We'll talk to him. Jus' make sure he's not too weird-looking, okay?"

The waiter sniffed. "I will try, _sir_."

It was only minutes later that the man was leading a familiar face back towards them and weaving through the tables that had become occupied in his wake. Kanda felt his stomach twist – not in anticipation, but _nerves _as the face of Tyki Mikk grinned down at him and Lavi.

"Hey, boys," he said easily, smile gentle. "I saw you two through the window, and I was wondering if I might join you?"

Something flickered across Lavi's face that might have been – no, _couldn't _have been annoyance before his lips twisted into an identical smile. "Sure! We don't mind, right, Yuu-chan?"

His only response was a half-hearted, "Che, whatever," and the older man sat down with them.

The long-haired teen could already tell. This was going to be the longest dinner of his _life_.

* * *

Review. You know I enjoy it. C:


	5. Aggravated

**Lee Isidor:** ROAR. It's me, guys. :D

**18.** I know, I know. It's been waaay too long. I meant to get this up like, last week, but time just sort of.. disappeared somewhere. :D My bad. But! I did tell ya'll I got a new job, so that's eating up some time too. Other than that, I'm just lazy. :O

**19. **Uh… I don't remember what's next on the list. Probably PL2, because I haven't worked on it too much. Alma makes me want to tear out my hair. D: I wish he had more personality and I didn't have to make up so much.

**20.** Last note – sorry Reever fans! I promise he won't be a starving artist forever, okay? It's just for this chapter. C: So yeah.

**21. **ROAR. Just because I wanted to. c:

**Review**** Response**

**Atsuko Uehara: **I will not even mention the trouble I had remembering your name. It was impossible. xDD You are not mistaken! You really are about to see Lavi and Tyki fight for Kanda, with the latter completely oblivious. I'm glad you still like it, and I hope you like this chapter too. C: Thanks for your awesome review!

**marufu-chan: **Thanks, glad you liked it! I hope you like this chapter too, and I'm sorry about these waits! I'm just… ugh. I'm so tired of school. xDD Thanks for your awesome review.

**TheSeventhLie: **Your name reminds me of several things, none of which I will mention. I'm just saying that it does to pique your interest or something. Or maybe I'm just wasting time in my first period class. :O I refuse to accept an apology for a review. xDD I appreciate every comment, and how could you not be worthy? I want everyone to be able to read this and like it! :DD Hooray! Thanks for your awesome review!

**namine zemyx: **Yeah! Kingdom Hearts all the way! Hehe, I'm glad you love the story! I hope you enjoy this chapter too! Thanks for your awesome review! C:

**KikiKrisis: **Oh-ho-ho, dinner is definitely interesting. There's even a twist to it! You'll see what I mean, but I hope you like the chapter! Thanks for your awesome review! :D

**Tysunkete: **Paris is a really, really lovely city, even if the people are a little brisk and don't like to speak English, but that's okay. I knew how to count to ten and how to say basic 'hello/goodbye/thank you/I want…' and we got along pretty well. C: But thank you for the awesome review and compliments! I really appreciate it! :D

**InsaneYuki: **Well, you will have to wait no longer because the chapter is finally here. xDD Thanks for your awesome review! C:

**Im-a-tiger: **Your name reminds me of what we did in my English class today about some dead poet who wrote a poem about a tiger. Hm. xDD I know, right? Poor Lavi! He gets Kanda all to himself at the end of the chapter, though. C: Thanks for your awesome review! :D

**NaussicaVOW: **Awesome! Glad you think they're in character. Sometimes they get a little difficult to write because my fingers go places that I don't intend, and uugh all this stuff starts happening and I just have to roll with it. xDD You are so welcome for the review reply! Replying like this makes me so happy. Especially when I get to ramble about my problems and stuff. Or something. Yeah. xDD I'll just stop talking now. Or typing, since I'm technically not talking. Hehe. Thanks for your awesome review! :D

**Super Goat Grl: **Every time I remember the end of your penname doesn't have an 'I' in it, I feel so proud of myself. Just thought I'd let you know. C: Yes! As tourists, it is our _duty _to disregard everything and blather loudly in our native languages and make people angry! I hate that, so I do my best to look like a native – and honestly, it seems to work. I've been asked for directions twice, once in Prague, and once in Berlin. xDD So yeah? I do a good job of that.

I'm glad you smirked to yourself. That's a good feeling to have. Xdd Oh yeah! I'm so glad someone caught that 'mount' bit. That's what I've heard adults say, though. Sounds so strange. Anyway, they only have a two-day week, so I'm not sure if I typed that out correctly. It's like, a five day weekend, and Kanda will have plenty of time for more interaction with Lavi and all sorts of exciting homework and stuff.

Dante's Inferno was good. We read it a while back in my English class too, so I figured I might as well give him a book that most people have at least heard about! :D And there will be much more noticing the little things when I write in Lavi's POV, I hope. I can't really remember this chapter, though. There might not be so much. The second half, probably though. Woo! That didn't make a lot of sense. xDD

I'm not sure what happened, but this dinner only ended up taking up half the chapter! I'm really not sure! xDD But I'm very happy with the second half, so I hope you like it too. C: Thanks for your awesome review! :DD

**dark-kitten13: **I know, right? She's so awful that you _have _to appreciate the fact that she brings Kanda and Lavi closer together. Sort of. xDD Thank you for the compliments about my style! I try to make it interesting, but if I describe too much, it gets to be so boring. Especially for me! xDD Thanks for your awesome review! :D

**fuyublue: **I hope you're happy. I wrote more. xDD Thanks for your awesome reviews!

**simply anonymous: **Well, brim no more because the chapter is finally here! xDD And dinner plays out quite nicely, I think. So! Thanks for your awesome review, and I hope you like the chapter!

**_Disclaimer:_**** I do not own DGM. I still don't really want to, so I don't know why I even bother writing this. Honestly, if I owned DGM, It would NOT be turning out the way it is right now. I'm so frustrated; I think I'm going to stop reading it. :/ That's all. Enjoy the chapter. :D**

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**Chapter Five: Aggravated**

He wasn't going to admit it out loud, and he wasn't going to show the emotion on his face. But privately, Lavi would admit to himself, that he was definitely pretty freaking aggravated by his teacher's intrusion.

Tyki had sat down at their table – after asking too politely for his request to be turned down equally politely – across from Kanda. He was smiling like he owned the place, which put another thing on his list of things to dislike the history teacher for. Honestly, he did like Tyki as a person. And as a teacher. But not when he was trying to get somewhere with the Japanese transfer. It was hard enough to get him to agree to go out by themselves, let alone with another person. Kanda was glaring at him across the table like it was all _his _fault.

The brunette flashed them both a winning smile. "So, boys, how was your day? Where did you two head off to?"

Kanda opened his mouth and from his expression, it looked like he was going to say something either incredibly stupid or incredibly blunt – which was also probably stupid, the redhead reasoned with himself. "We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower," he answered quickly, shooting his friend a pointed look.

"The Eiffel Tower?" Tyki asked interestedly. "So I take it you hadn't ever been, right, Kanda?"

Lavi scowled at his teacher's attempt to keep him out of the conversation. Kanda merely grunted an affirmative, and the older man looked slightly put off. He tried again to steer the conversation away from Kanda. "Yeah – so what were _you _up to, Mikk? Some last-minute shopping?"

Tyki offered him a lazy smile. "Actually yeah. Rhode's birthday is coming up in two weeks, and I'm at a complete _loss _as to what I should get her."

Rhode Kamelot was a little freshman, he knew, just like Allen. The white-haired boy talked about her sometimes, especially her strange habits. Apparently she was almost a borderline stalker. But he had seen her a few times before – she had short dark hair and eyes almost the same shade of gold as Tyki. They looked very similar, if one forgot about the almost foot – maybe even a foot and a half – height difference. Kanda merely scowled across the table from them; his expression definitely read that he was uncomfortable with both of them looking straight at him.

The redhead paused, considering. "Well, shoes always seem to work for Lenalee," he said slowly. "I mean, last year we all chipped in and got her a pair of really expensive boots and they're her favorites."

"Oh?" the teacher said lightly. His golden eyes were unfocused, staring at a point out in the restaurant. It made him kind of uncomfortable that he wouldn't look at them while they were talking. "Shoes, huh?"

"Do you _know _her shoe size?" the junior Bookman prodded.

Tyki sighed melodramatically. "Well, I used to, but that was a few years ago. I'm sure her feet have grown since then…"

Their waiter reappeared at the table, looking down at them with an attempted smile. "Can I get you three anything to drink?"

"Water," Kanda said immediately. He scowled down at his menu, squinting his eyes. It was an adorable expression – it seriously looked like the exchange student didn't know how to read French. Which, of course, he did, but it never ceased to entertain him when the other would read. Sometimes he would stumble over words, and occasionally he dropped his pride enough to ask what one meant in another language.

"Some Earl Gray would be good for me," Tyki said casually, picking up his menu with delicate fingers. It was dark green, and the trim was some silver metal. He just couldn't help it – observing things was like second nature to him. "And a slice of lemon."

The waiter turned his eyes on Lavi, who shrugged. "Water for me too, I guess." He caught Kanda's angry gaze and offered a prolific wink. He liked to think it wasn't just his imagination that made the other boy's cheeks turn pink as he turned away.

"Has Rhode mentioned anything she really _wants _for her birthday?" the redhead spoke again, trying to keep the conversation away from dangerous waters – like what they were doing out together, eating dinner at some little hole-in-the-wall café that looked like it was only for couples on their cheesy first dates. Fuck his overactive imagination.

Tyki sighed indignantly, as though his student had done him some great wrong by asking the question. "No, she hasn't," he said mournfully. The expression was convincing, but somehow the redhead had a feeling that he was overacting. Or being melodramatic. Something along those lines. "Well, except for one thing," he amended quickly. "She did mention a _someone _she wanted."

"_Che_," Kanda muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. If he was trying to demonstrate that he was bored with the conversation, it was definitely working. Lavi also had a distinct feeling that it would dictate where the conversation was going fairly quickly. "What does it matter?"

"Who did she ask for?" Lavi asked, shooting his friend an annoyed look. Couldn't he tell that the redhead was trying to do him a favor by keeping Tyki away from him? Or just by keeping the _subject _away from him?

The teacher's lips quirked into a smile. "Your roommate."

Lavi choked on his own spit, and the long-haired man across from him looked very near to cracking a smile. "_Really_?" he asked, slightly appalled. "Did she say why?"

"I think she mentioned something about him being adorable and some other, uh, expletives that I don't really want to repeat," the brunette grinned sheepishly. For a teacher, Lavi mused, he was pretty cool. If only he'd stop sneaking glances at Yuu-chan out of the corner of his eyes. It was pretty obvious to everyone except Kanda, probably.

A few minutes later, after some idly chatting, the waiter returned with their drinks, took down their orders, and promptly left again. It was still a little too early for the dinner crowd. When Kanda tossed his head again, Lavi kicked him under the table with a not-so-subtle glare. The older teen glared back. Their silent staring contest was only broken when their teacher coughed politely, bringing them all back to the present. And reminding them that he was indeed at the table with them.

"So, your grandfather is coming to the Alumni Association's meeting, right, Lavi?" Tyki asked blankly without looking at him. Annoying.

"Yeah," the redhead replied sharply. "He comes every year. Kind of annoying. I have to be on my best behavior."

"None of your family went here, right, Kanda?" the brunette posed, raising his eyes from his tea and looking straight at the dark-haired transfer. No _shit_, Lavi wanted to say. He was from _Japan_. They didn't all up and move to France just because he made a scholarship to some school.

"Don't you know my older brother?" Kanda scowled. "What are you asking _me _for?"

Lavi's red brows shot up on his forehead. "_What_?" He looked between the two others with an incredulous expression. "Yuu-chan? What are you _talking _about?"

Tyki leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table. Well, that was obviously rude. "You know your brother's in town, don't you?" he asked, looking confused. "We were going to go out on the town tomorrow or something."

The long-haired teen narrowed his eyes. "That's nice," he said sourly. He wasn't very good at faking being happy for someone else. He muttered something else under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, "I hope he gets hit by a bus."

The teacher leaned back in his seat just as quickly as he had leaned forward. Someone was obviously indecisive, the redhead laughed to himself. "Yeah, Yoichi was telling me about how when you two were kids. Sounds like you two never really liked each other."

Kanda's dark eyes narrowed, and he didn't miss the way the other's lips were twitching. It looked like he was seriously pissed off but didn't want to admit it. "He's just pissed that I'm supposed to be the next clan head and he's the older one."

"What does that mean? Does that mean you have to go back to Japan when you're done with school?" the redhead frowned. That wasn't what he wanted to happen – not at all. It sounded cheesy, but he wanted Kanda to stay in France and be his friend so he could learn all about him – even though it wasn't working as well as he would've liked yet. There was something about Kanda that just drew him in like a moth to a flame. Only he was pretty sure that if he got too close, he probably wouldn't burst into flames and die. That would be such a problem.

The long-haired teen shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm supposed to go back but I don't want to be a clan head or whatever. It sounds like the shittiest way to spend the rest of my life."

Tyki slid his cell phone out of his pocket, glancing at the screen. "I think he just texted me, actually. He asked how you're doing and said he does care, a little."

Kanda's mouth twisted into a scowl. "Tell him to fuck off and go back to Japan or whatever rock he crawled out from under."

The curly-haired man laughed, sounding startled. "I don't know if you know, Kanda, but he's got a flat in the city. I'm sure he doesn't hate you as much as you think."

His cell phone buzzed again, and Lavi peered over his shoulder at the message. It read, '_Tell little Yuu he can go fuck himself and that I'm not going back home yet. Btw, tell him not to curse so much too_.' Tyki laughed again, and the redhead had a sudden idea. While the teacher was busy typing away at his keyboard, Lavi pulled out his own phone and searched down his contacts. Yes. He did indeed have Kanda's number, even though he had no memory of actually asking for it. Or entering it. That meant either he had done it while he was sleeping or someone else had done it for him. He had a feeling it might have been Lenalee. Asians tended to flock together or something, right?

"Your brother told you to watch your mouth, Kanda," the Portuguese man chuckled. "Of course, he's still got a lot to learn too."

The younger teen pressed himself against his seat. He crossed his arms over his chest, dark eyes sweeping the café. It looked like he was bored with the whole situation and just wanted to leave. Lavi mentally cursed whoever had told Tyki they were going out to dinner. He also cursed Tyki himself, for thinking he would be a good addition to their dinner. He was the stupid third wheel, all right, like they were on a date or something and the teacher had decided to butt in. The redhead furrowed his brow, thinking. Maybe Tyki's whole purpose in showing up to ruin their dinner had been to make sure they weren't going to embarrass the school with PDA or having sex on a dinner table? Yeah, like that was going to happen.

"Are you adjusting well to the school, Kanda?" Tyki asked finally, looking up from his phone. The small screen continued to glow for a few seconds before turning black, and the redhead looked down at his own cell.

The other boy offered a noncommittal shrug. "I guess. I still fuckin' hate French, though."

"But it's a _romance _language," the teacher said, sounding a little like he was trying to wheedle something out of his student. "How could you dislike it?"

It was hard typing under the table, but Lavi finally managed to type '_Yuu-chan! Ogenki desu ka?_' and click send. He was mildly satisfied with his limited knowledge of Japanese and hoped, _hoped _he was saying 'How are you?' and not something completely unrelated.

Kanda's dark eyes narrowed. They were lovely and almond-shaped, half-hidden under his long bangs, but if he wasn't glaring all the time, it would have been even _more _attractive. "I don't like romance," he said bluntly. "It takes too much time."

The redhead could think of a few good things to say to that, but he didn't want Tyki to be thinking the same things. "Can you speak Portuguese, Tyki?" he interrupted. The only sure-fire way to drive the conversation away from his friend was to drive it towards the teacher.

Tyki looked startled at the question. "Well, actually… I can, but I hardly ever go to Portugal. I don't use it much." He grinned sheepishly. "Some of the family won't speak to us in any other language, though."

The cell phone between his legs buzzed, and Lavi had a feeling that he would be well-advised to turn it off of vibrate before something bad and embarrassing happened. '_aikawarazu desu_. _fuckin bored_,' the text read. The redhead wracked his brain to define the phrase. Something about something. He focused on the part of the sentence he could read – the fuckin' bored part. So Kanda was bored.

Their food was finally brought out, and Lavi finished typing another message as his plate was being put down in front of him. '_Aww, poor baby. Want me to make it better?_' He grinned to himself, picking at the food. Tyki was closer to the aisle than he was, and the older man suddenly frowned as his phone. And so was he. _'fuck you. no.'_

"Fuck, the Earl is calling," he groaned, picking it up and putting it to his ear with the air of a scolded child. "Hello? Yes. I'm at dinner right now. _What_?" He sighed huffily. "I know! I'll be there. Yes! God, I'll be there." He didn't bother to say goodbye and instead hung up with a livid expression.

"Will you be needing anything else?" the waiter asked stiffly.

"Actually," Tyki said equally stiffly, "I need to box this up. I have to be leaving." While the waiter walked away to find a box to put the teacher's dinner in, Tyki looked at them apologetically. "Sorry. I just got a call from the principal – you know how Earl is," he rolled his eyes. "I'll tell your brother you said hello, Kanda. Don't forget to finish that review for Thursday's test. I'm not going to accept it late."

"Well, good luck," Lavi offered lamely. "Later?"

Tyki pulled out his wallet and offered a twenty euro bill. "I assume you're paying?" he laughed quietly, handing it to the redhead. He took the bag from the waiter and smirked at them one last time. "Later, boys."

He waited until the teacher was all the way out the door before he breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally," the redhead sighed, stretching out. "He's _gone_."

Kanda didn't sigh, but he did look a little less angry. "Thank fucking _God_," he muttered. "I don't ever want to have a conversation about my stupid fuckin' older brother during dinner again."

The redhead smiled knowingly. "I know. Hey, you wanna eat fast and then hit the road? We can still make it to the Arc before it closes for the night."

"Okay," the Japanese teen shrugged apathetically. "Whatever."

Yes. Score one for Lavi. His aggravation was quickly melting away into that warm feeling he got when he spent lots of time with Yuu-chan by himself. Despite Tyki's showing up – which he had _not _planned or welcomed, really – the evening could still turn out all right.

As long as they ended with a goodnight kiss, it was _all _good.

**

* * *

**

"C'mon, Yuu!" Lavi smiled, letting the wind blow his hair around. It felt good outside, but it wasn't going to stay nice like that forever. There was already a little nip in the night air. Winter was definitely on its way.

"Che, slow the fuck down, stupid," the long-haired teen muttered. He was walking with his hands in his pockets, a casual pose. The breeze was tossing the end of his ponytail back and forth between his shoulder blades, and the scowl that usually took his dark eyes had lessened slightly. For all his angry tone, Lavi knew the Japanese teen might have been – gasp – _enjoying _himself.

The redhead spun on his heels before dashing over to the edge of the bridge. They were on the island part of the city – the fun part, he always said, because the bridge was just so awesome and all the cool stuff was in the middle – since it had been too late to climb the Arc. They would do it some other time, Lavi had promised. Kanda had just grunted, and he had taken that grunt as one of agreement, not one of those 'get the fuck out of my face, stupid rabbit' grunts that the other seemed to be doing more and more lately.

It was late but not too late – there were still people milling around, holding hands, peering over at the Seine River. The city was still lit up, lights everywhere, and there were tiny pools of it reflected in the water. Kanda was peering over the edge of the stone bridge. The redhead copied his motions, crossing his arms and resting his head on them.

The Japanese teen's reflection flickered in and out of focus as ripples shook the water. He was so pretty. Lavi sighed wistfully, blowing a stray strand of hair out of his eye for a better look.

Kanda caught his gaze and immediately the little furrow between his eyes was back as he scowled. "What are you looking at?" he asked roughly, crossing his arms over his chest.

The older teen smiled. "Just Yuu," he said casually. A flicker of confusion flashed across the other's face, like he didn't know if Lavi had said 'Yuu' or 'you,' that darned English word that sounded so similar. "Hey, do you want to go over there?"

"Idiot, what are we even doing out here?" the long-haired boy asked, wrinkling his nose. It gave him the unpleasant expression of smelling something bad, and the other teen wanted to laugh. "It's getting kind of late."

"Is not," Lavi argued. "It's still pretty early. We won't stay out that much longer – what, are you tired of me already?"

Kanda muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, "When I was back in Japan…" but then he fell silent, clutching his jacket closer to his body. "What now?"

"C'mon!" the redhead smiled wider. He grabbed the shorter boy's arm, tugging him towards the river walkway. A small boat – it looked a little like a gondola – passed them, and the man steering it waved. Lavi waved back, and even the Japanese boy offered a stiff nod. "Yuu, it's so pretty out tonight!"

The other boy's cheeks colored slightly. "Che. It's just night, idiot. They all look the same." The moon hung in a vivid half-circle above them, but there were too many city lights to see stars, aside from the occasional super-bright ones – and passing planes. "There aren't even any stars."

"Do you like stars?" Lavi asked seriously, craning his neck to look up at the sky. It was big and velvety blue, and the edges of the bowl seemed to fit all around them like an endless cover.

Kanda clicked his tongue against his teeth but didn't reply. They kept walking, and the redhead was vaguely reminded of that one Pixar movie – what was it? Ratatouille? The one that was supposed to have taken place in Paris? They hadn't done such a bad job of animating it, even if the plot was highly unlikely.

A ways ahead of them, someone was hunched over a painting. The disheveled sandy hair looked slightly familiar, and Lavi grinned. "Reever! Hey, is that you?" he called. He was still clutching Kanda's arm, and the other stiffened slightly as the redhead moved closer.

The painter looked up from his easel with a confused frown. "Hmm? Oh, Lavi. What do you want?" the sandy-haired man asked tiredly. He was bent over a painting of the river. A woman with wild, dark hair was standing on the Pont Neuf, holding a red parasol. "What are you doing out?"

"What are _you _doing out?" Lavi countered. "I thought you were crashing with Komui while he tries to get you that science teacher job or whatever." Komui was the ever-eccentric head of the science department. He liked to build things – maybe a little too much. They always worked, sure, but then whatever he had intended to use them for backfired and they drank coffee and went haywire and exploded. One time Lenalee had even had to smash one with her favorite boots they had bought her for her birthday that one year. Komui had thrown a fit for almost an hour afterwards.

Reever smiled with a sigh; he leaned and cracked his back in several places. Then he looked up at the sky as though he had just noticed it getting dark. "It's late," he observed. "I was just painting." The Australian man turned a critical eye on the pair of them. "Were you two on a date?"

"_What_?" Kanda sputtered angrily. "Fuck – _no_!"

Lavi smiled humorlessly. "Naah, I was just taking him around. He's the transfer student from Japan! 'Course, nobody knows Paris better than me, so I decided to show him the sites!" He adjusted his headband with one hand, keep the other arm firmly wrapped around Kanda's.

The other teen shifted. "I'm Kanda," he said grudgingly. "Don't listen to anything this idiot tells you."

The sandy-haired man laughed, shaking his head. " Why don't you sit down? I could draw you guys if you want."

The redhead could practically feel his face lighting up with the force of his smile. "Would you _really_?" he asked, bouncing on his heels. "So exciting, right, Yuu-chan?!"

Kanda grunted. "Che. Whatever."

Reever met his eye, and he nodded slightly. Somehow they had the same idea. "Will you draw Yuu-chan, Reever?" he asked as innocently as he could. "It's such a pretty night and I'm sure he'd be easier to draw than me!"

The long-haired teen turned to look at him with a murderous expression. "_What_? Are you calling me _girly_, fucking _rabbit_?" he growled, trying to wrench his arm away.

"Of course not!" he sang, prancing out of reach. "You just sit still! I want to see Reever draw you!"

The artist pointed to a small black stool. It was set against the river, and Kanda sat down without too much arguing on their parts. The city felt quiet. He could hear vague noise of traffic and of voices and of soft, sultry music, but it felt so peaceful. He had never felt so at home in one place before. Growing up with Bookman had been a little difficult. He had been put up for adoption before he had even really known who he was. Someone had found him, abandoned in the middle of nowhere, with an eye that was almost completely blind and a milky contrast to his other green one. Whoever it was had taken him to an orphanage, and eventually Bookman had come and adopted him. He was lucky, he supposed. Most of those kids didn't get into such stable, well-provided homes. It helped that he was a fast learner and that Bookman did love him, on some level, like his own son.

Kanda sat stock still on the stool. He gazed pensively out at the water, eyes dipping under the bridges and over the buildings and tracing the people and the stones and the scenery. He was so pretty. His hair, still in that amazing, high ponytail, fell down his back like black ink. It was dull in the evening light, but his skin was a creamy contrast, pale as the moon. His features were elegant and exotic, and even the way he perched on the seat belied grace and pride. He was just so foreign and exciting and _pretty_.

Lavi couldn't resist the urge to run his fingers through that hair anymore. He stalked forward quietly, touching the other's tresses with gentle fingers. Either Kanda was ignoring him or just didn't care, because he didn't say anything for a long moment, just let the redhead run his fingers through those long, dark locks.

"What the fuck are you doing, rabbit?" he said lowly, but his voice was marred with tiredness. A sleepy yawn took his mouth a second later. Even his glare lacked the poison it usually had.

"Your hair is so nice," he said simply. "I just wanted to feel."

"Tch. Whatever," the younger teen said tiredly. He was still sitting up impeccably straight, but there was a slight tilt to his shoulders that spoke of his exhaustion. It _had _been a busy day. Kanda had been working on his homework all morning, and then he had dragged the long-haired teen out to go see the sights, they had eaten a very stressful dinner with Tyki, and then finally ditched him and wandered the town. It was getting late, but he didn't want to head back yet. It would ruin the perfect moment.

Kanda's mouth opened wide for a yawn, sleepy and catlike. "Are we going back to school after this?" he asked quietly, in such a demure little voice that Lavi wasn't sure if it was actually him who had spoken or some imposter pretending to be his angry new friend.

All he wanted to do was bury his face in that delicious long hair and inhale. "If you want," he relented. "It _is _getting kind of late."

"Yeah," the long-haired teen said softly. "I have so much shit to do tomorrow. I don't want to spend the three-day holiday working on my fuckin' homework." That sounded much more like the spitfire he thought he knew.

Across the cobbled pathway, Reever offered him a languid smile as he pulled a piece of charcoal across the paper. Kanda's form was taking shape nicely. His expression was serious but not stony, his posture straight but not rigid. He was all angles and elegance, but at the same time, there was certain softness to the picture. His eyes were dark, expressively serious, yet there was some other element there, some sort of deep-seated confusion or embarrassment. Maybe he was just reading into the picture too much. It was probably just a trick of the light.

"What time did you two leave school?" Reever asked conversationally. "Make sure you get back before curfew and don't mention me or I won't get that job."

Lavi smiled, tilting his head. "I know. We'll just take the met back to the school stop and run. I'm sure nobody'll see. They couldn't kick _me _out anyway…"

The other teen didn't bother to question why not, and he was disappointed that he didn't get to explain that because Bookman was sitting on a figurative pile of gold and donated to the school time to time, he wouldn't get his ass kicked out for pretty much anything. It was kind of convenient, actually.

The sandy-haired artist leaned back and looked at his picture with a critical eye. "I think I'm done."

Lavi peered over the older man's shoulder. The picture was near flawless; he just wanted to sit and stare at it forever or something. "How much do I owe you for that?" he joked without really meaning it.

Reever simply smiled, spraying the picture with some can of fixative or something to keep the charcoal from smearing. "It's free, idiot. I'm not going to charge you for this."

The redhead grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, but I wasted your materials and stuff. You sure you don't want anything?"

The older man waved a hand nonchalantly. "Don't be stupid. Just take the picture. Kanda, do you want it?"

Kanda rose from his seat with tired eyes. He looked a little unfocused, and he looked at the picture of himself with a contemplative frown. It wasn't as irritated as his usual scowl, and even though his dark eyes were narrowed, he looked more like he was trying to remember something than actually glaring. "Thanks," he said grudgingly, taking the picture.

Reever smiled, looking equally tired. "See you later, kids. I gotta get back to the flat," he yawned, starting to gather up his equipment. The easel and stool were easy enough to fold up under his arm, and the fixative was tucked away into a messenger bag and slung over his shoulder. "Be safe, okay? It's kind of late."

The other teen's expression was far away, but Lavi grinned and offered a thumbs-up. "No problem, man. See you later!" They parted ways at the end of the bridge. "C'mon, the nearest station is this way," the redhead directed, nodding at a side street. "Hey, Yuu-chan, are you listening to me?"

"Why the fuck should I?" Kanda countered, frowning. "'S not like you're saying anything _worth _listening to."

Lavi sucked in his teeth melodramatically. "How _dare _you say I'm not interesting?"

Kanda's lips twitched, like he was going to smile, but the expression died before it could culminate. "Whatever. Let's just go, I'm fuckin' _tired_."

They reached the underground fairly easily, swiped metro cards, and boarded. It felt like only minutes later that they were back on the outskirts of town and stumbling towards the school. It was a little bit of a hike, but they managed, and better yet – it was _still _before curfew. He could see the building monitor giving them a dirty look as they ambled past.

The long-haired teen was still clutching the picture of himself, and he looked down on it with an expression of distaste. "Tch. I don't want this," he said coldly. "What the fuck am I supposed to do with a picture of myself?"

"I'll take it!" Lavi grinned before he had thought about it. "If you don't want it," he amended. "It shouldn't go to waste or something."

The Japanese boy shoved it at him, turning to clomp up the stairs. "Whatever. I'm going to bed."

"Oya-su… oi-yah-soo-mean-a-sigh, Yuu-chan!" the redhead grinned, butchering the words almost beyond recognition. If that didn't get a reaction, he wasn't sure what would.

"Che – it's _oyasuminasai_, idiot rabbit," Kanda replied without turning around. "Good _night_."

There was no goodnight kiss, but he hadn't really expected one after all. He would have time for that later. Lavi floated up the stairs, smiling to himself like some sort of love struck idiot, and wandered into his dorm room. Allen was half asleep on his bed, a book open and almost resting on his face. Lavi sauntered over to his bulletin board. There were a few notices he had pinned there – reminders about tests, club meetings, the like – and he moved a few aside to pin Kanda's picture there. He stepped back with a satisfied smile.

"Dude, are you falling for him?" his roommate asked tiredly. He took the book off his face and placed it gently on the bedside table.

Lavi furrowed his brow, staring blankly at the picture. It was still beautiful, but not quite as beautiful as the teen across the hall. "I dunno. Probably. Anyway, I'm gonna turn in. G'night."

It must have been aggravating that he was asleep before the other could ask him any questions.

* * *

REVIEW! :D


	6. Languid

**LEE ISIDOR: **IT'S BEEN A FREAKIN' WHILE, HASN'T IT.

**1. **Since it's been so long, today I will start at one. :)

**2. **So pretty much I think I've adjusted to this new lifestyle, starting college, taken a few tests, gotten a few experiences under my belt. It's pretty nice here. I like it. But it's also super busy, but I really have no excuse for taking so long to update things.

**3. **So... TyKan week. I'm not going to be the only one writing this year, hopefully, because I haven't even thought about it yet. Link's in my profile, and somehow it's a hyperlink? Be amazed. I dunno how that happened.

**4. **So I'm going to try and pick back up Hoist the Colors, too. I think I have a basic idea. We'll see how it goes.

**5. **Feel free to kick my ass for not updating anything in so long. I know, I suck.

**6. **Kanda's older brother makes his first appearance this chapter! :) If there's any confusion, let me know.

******Review**** Response**

**marufu-chan: **Well. I feel pretty good about myself for updating. Right now. Wow, it's been a while. xDD So thank you for your awesome review. :)

**chocomintkt: **LaviYuu is so cuuute.. And creeper!Tyki has moved on to a different Kanda, as we will see in this chapter. Haha! I'm so excited about it! I can't wait for him to make some moves on Kanda's older brother... It makes me 'lol' a little bit on the inside. Sorry for the wait; but thanks for your awesome review! C:

**Lavi's Samuri Kanda Yu: **Oh, there'll be lots _more _love if things go the way I've planned.. But then again, I hardly ever stick to plans because the characters are so dynamic that they end up changing everything up without my permission. xDD But! Sorry for the wait; thanks for your awesome review! :D

**Atsuko Uehara: **I think the reason I always mess up is the 'Uehara,' actually. Because half the time I look, I see 'Urahara,' and then I type it and think to myself, 'Hm.. that's not right.' So there. :P And Lavi and Tyki's fight is kind of.. not as dramatic. Because Tyki's already given up, and, as demonstrated here... we've got another Kanda on the scene. Hm. So there. Sorry for the wait; thanks for your awesome review! :)

**simply anonymous: **Oh, no worries. Kanda will _definitely _be quite aware of all the love floating around. Especially when Tyki and his older brother get together. It's gonna be funny. :D But! That won't happen for a while, so we'll have to settle for cutesy interaction and fleeting glances and 'accidental' touching. Hehe. Sorry for the wait; thanks for your awesome review! :D

**Sweet Snow2: **Mm, recently, yeah.. Hurhur. I've been so bad about that... Sorry for the wait; I hope you like this chapter! C: Thanks for your awesome review!

**Curious Thoughts: **No, it'll stay LaviYuu as far as I'm concerned, though we will have some TyKan with a different Kanda. xDD Well, if things go the way I planned. I know it's not soon, but here's my update.. Sorry for the wait; thanks for your awesome review! :)

**Serial Pervert: **Your name makes me lol. Uncontrollably. xDD Sorry for the wait; hope you like this chapter. C: Thanks for your awesome review!

**The Princess of Whatever: **Aww, thank you. :) I'm glad you like it! It makes me happy to hear that; I don't write just for the sake of writing, most of the time. Feed my ego, bwahahaha. :) Anyway! Sorry for the wait; thanks for your awesome review!

**AlcoholicTree: **Your name makes me lol too. xDD I'm glad you've fallen in love... hope you still love it, haha! C: Sorry for the wait; thanks for your awesome review! :)

**DreamlessAbyss: **Don't let him hear you calling him cute. Even in this fic, he'll take offense. xDD Oh, Kanda~! But anyway, thanks for your awesome review! I'm sorry about the wait... :)

**Yuu13: **It is nowhere near soon, but I updated. At least I did that. Sorry for the wait; thanks for your awesome review! :)

**Soul Fang: **Aahaha! Again, this is nowhere near soon. But I'm trying to get back on track too.. It's kind of hard, though. So much to do with life right now! xDD Anyway, thanks for your awesome review! I'm sorry about the wait, but I'm relatively pleased with this chapter.. so I hope you like it! :)

**chinesemidget: **Glad you like the characters, and poor Allen? Are you referring to the fact that I seem incapable of writing him? xDD Because yes, I agree. Poor Allen... ugh, I'm trying so hard to fit him in. But anyway! I'm sorry about the wait; thanks for your awesome review! :)

_**Disclaimer:**_** Obviously I do not own DGM. Nor do I want to. Reviews, however, I would appreciate. :)

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**Chapter Six: Languid**

There had never been a better opportunity to observe his students.

Tyki grinned, leaning back in his seat. There wasn't much to do, since he had already lectured to his heart's content and given assignments that would be due the day of the test – the next day, to be exact. He liked giving tests right before the weekend because honestly, who spent their time studying on the weekends? That was when all the wild, raucous parties went on, and he didn't want to deny his students the real 'boarding school' experience.

Thursdays were usually not his favorite day of the week, but something about that day was making him feel slow and lazy and strangely excited. There was some sort of static tension in the air that he swore was making the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

Maybe it had to do with those awful, confused glares that Lavi kept shooting his way.

Ever since he had interrupted their cute little dinner date, the redhead had been treating him with some sort of cordial animosity. It was kind of funny, except he really wasn't doing anything else to further that smoldering anger that the Junior Bookman was, apparently, harboring. It was understandable, though. He definitely had showed up uninvited to a dinner where he had obviously been intruding. And then he had brought up sensitive subjects like Kanda's older brother and things had gotten a little awkward. And that staff meeting. Ugh, those were the worst – and that one had just been like a kick in the pants. He had had to leave dinner _early_. The epitome of rude, that was.

He turned his attention back to his students. They split off into groups, the same ones they usually did when he allowed them to work together. The more explosive groups – read: any group that had Kanda in it – were towards the front of the classroom, and he could hear them clear as day.

"Look, can you just give me the textbook?" Kanda snapped. "You're wasting time. I want to get this _done_."

Lavi sighed melodramatically. "Yuu-chan, you're so _brisk_. Relax, okay? If we don't finish, I'll help you." He grinned, using his free hand to ruffle the red hair that had fallen into his eyes.

The Japanese boy narrowed his dark eyes. Sure, he was pretty, but honestly, Tyki was losing interest. The student-teacher relationship he had fantasized about just wasn't realistic. And obviously Tyki was all about realism.

"I don't want your help," Kanda enunciated clearly, snatching the offered textbook. "I will do this myself."

Lavi shrugged, trying to look innocent and unsuspecting. It didn't work. "Well… Just saying." He grinned and turned his head slightly. His single green eye – Tyki always did wonder why he wore that eye patch, but it wasn't like he could bring the subject up in class – caught the teacher's gaze, and immediately narrowed.

Tyki's lips curved into an amused smile. He had his cell in his lap, and he was doing the thing that he nagged his students about _not_ – texting in class. He had plans that involved Kanda's older brother, and texting was just the beginning. After all, Yoichi was more his type that the younger Kanda. Even if his hair was a tad shorter and his face was a little manlier. They were still brothers – and very similar, even though he was sure the younger would deny as much as the other man would. If Yoichi was anything to go by, they would absolutely hate being compared.

The redhead's mouth opened, like he was going to say something. Tyki raised his eyebrows expectantly. Just as quickly, the Junior Bookman turned back to his table, worksheet, and textbook and said nothing.

If Lavi was going to give him the silent treatment, that was just fine. The older man let his thoughts wander.

He had just been about to figure out what was going to be for lunch – was he going to go out, or was he going to stay in and maybe heat up some instant noodles in his office? – when his cell phone buzzed noisily. The room was equally noisy, so he assumed none of the students had noticed. They would probably bitch if they saw him texting when they weren't allowed to. He didn't care much, though. It was no big deal; they could bitch all they wanted and he wasn't going to stop texting.

_You're meeting me for lunch outside of the office_. Yoichi Kanda had texted him, sans any smiles or anything to make the message sound friendly or less like a command. In that respect, Tyki mused, the younger and older Kanda were very similar. Personality-wise, they were both as stiff as boards. At least through text messages.

_Okay_, he replied, fingers hovering over the keys. He wasn't sure what else to add, except maybe a smiley face and a word or two about the irritated look Lavi was throwing his way. _I think your brother has a secret admirer._

Oh, did his smile gain a secret twist after that. Every time the redhead looked at him, that looming frustration in his green eye, he could smile back, his lips twisting into such an amused smirk. Lovely. How lovely. If he knew Yoichi half as well as he thought, the older Kanda would definitely want to know who and how to kick said admirer's ass. Immediately.

It took a long moment for the other to respond, and when he did, it hadn't been at all what he expected. _Is this admirer male or female?_ Yoichi asked, still sans anything friendly. _Should I be worried about poor Yuu-chan_?

He didn't know how to reply to that one. Sure, Lavi looked pretty harmless, but that fierce glare he was directing at Tyki was maybe something the short-haired Kanda would have to worry about. Maybe. If he actually cared that much. The teacher wondered briefly if the other was just pretending to care but would actually egg the redhead on. He might, just because he and Tyki's student did not seem to have a good relationship. Maybe he would just have to wait and see.

_Nevermind. I'll see you at lunch_.

* * *

Yoichi definitely stood out in front of his office.

He was definitely a good bit taller than most of the students – and a whole lot more Asian, to boot. Most of the students had probably never seen a true Japanese native other than their transfer student, of course. On that note, he wasn't sure any of the students would be able to make the distinction between Japanese and the rest of the Asian cultures. Then he wondered how many students thought Kanda was Chinese or something other than the Islander he was. Probably quite a few.

The older Kanda was standing in a pose reminiscent of his younger brother; his hands were shoved into the pockets of his jeans, and he was wearing a casual t-shirt, but there was no way his expression could be considered as casual as his outfit. His eyebrows were pulled together, and his mouth was turned down into a solid frown. The students passing by his office were giving the man a wide berth; his expression was so argumentative, nobody had the guts to get close to him.

"Hey, Yoichi," Tyki greeted, raising his hand in a casual wave. The other man raised his eyebrows and raised his chin a little bit, but didn't reply. "Are we going somewhere?"

"We're gonna have lunch, dumbass," Yoichi responded, still frowning. He turned his gaze from the teacher to the myriad of students who were breaking for lunch, and the berth they were awarding him immediately got a bit wider.

The brunette shrugged, raising his shoulders and then lowering them when he felt the muscles catch. "Where? You bring me something to eat?"

Yoichi offered him a dangerous look, and he swallowed nervously. Hit the nail on the head. So the other _had _brought him something to eat. "Where are we going to eat." The question was flat; it hardly sounded like a question at all.

Tyki laughed, a little nervously. "We can eat in my office if you want…" It was close enough to his classroom that when they finished, he could just slide into class again. All he would have to do was explain that an angry Japanese man was holding him hostage and forcing him to eat. Or something like that. His students usually believed any bullshit story he came up with. Especially if it was dramatic; the girls ate that up like fat free, sugarless, zero-calorie candy.

"Sounds good," the other grunted, pushing past him to walk the way he had come. Tyki adopted a slightly helpless expression. "Is it this way?"

He wondered, for a moment, what had happened to make the older Kanda so irritated. Usually he was the exact opposite of the transfer student, at least in personality. His hair was shorter, that was a very obvious distinction between them, but their facial structures were very, very similar. If he hadn't known any better, he probably would have jumped to the conclusion that Kanda – Yuu, the younger – had cut off his hair before waiting in front of his office. As unlikely as a scenario like that was.

Tyki pushed the door to his office open gingerly, gesturing for the other to follow. Yoichi needed no invitation; he pushed past, setting down a paper grocery bag on the desk and raising his eyebrows.

"You look a li'l frazzled, Tyki," he said conversationally. As soon as the teacher had stepped inside, locking the door behind him, the older Kanda was pulling containers of food out of the bag like Mary freakin' Poppins. How had he kept all that in such a small bag? "Have a rough day?"

The older man sighed, sliding into his desk chair. It was the oldest piece of furniture he had ever owned, and also the most comfortable. "Not really. I'm just kinda beat today."

Yoichi offered a knowing smile. Watching him smile was weird. It was like seeing the younger Kanda smile, and Tyki knew for a fact that he had never – and probably _would _never – seen that happen. "Kinda beat, huh? What, you stay up too late grading some papers, old man?"

Tyki shook his head, laughing. "Yeah, sure. You could always help me out if you have some extra time." He put a hand against his forehead, sighing again. "You know, your little brother is kind of a bitch."

"Tch, you think I don't know that?" the other countered, raising his brows. At the bottom of his bag, he pulled two pairs of identical lacquered chopsticks, handing one to the teacher. "It's still kind of warm. I tried to get here as fast as I could, but…" His expression immediately pulled down into a frown, and the brunette could really, really very much see the resemblance between the older and younger Kandas. "Some kid gave me the wrong directions on fuckin' purpose, so I got lost."

"On purpose?" the teacher repeated. "How did you know it was on purpose?"

"Because," Yoichi said shortly. "When I saw him later, he ran the other way like he was afraid I was going to rip his head off or something." He held out one of the boxes of food with an expectant expression, still glowering but not as much.

Tyki snorted, taking the offered contained and opening it. It was kind of like bento – he had figured something like that would be what the older Kanda offered. Even if they were in France, he still couldn't seem to shy away from his traditional foods. The brunette had to wonder, though, did Yuu know how to cook? That was a funny thought – a mental picture of the long-haired Kanda with an apron on, slaving away in front of a hot stove. It wasn't going to happen. Ever. "Sure, sure. Maybe they just figured out that you're related to Kanda."

The other's brows rose in obvious confusion. "Kanda? What do you mean?"

"My bad, I mean Yuu," the teacher amended. "Most everyone calls him Kanda here. I don't think he's used to a first-name basis like us Westerners."

Yoichi nodded, a little haltingly. "Mmhm. I can understand that, I guess…" He sighed, snapping his chopsticks up in a way that probably would have been considered rude if they had been anywhere else – at least anywhere Asian. "Sometimes it feels weird for you to call me Yoichi without an honorific or anything. You know?"

"What, you want me to call you Yoichi-kun?" Tyki teased, popping one of the strangely shaped foods into his mouth. It was salty, from the rice and the seasoning, but the meat was vaguely sweet. Kind of like sushi, he figured. "That sounds weird. Yoichi-kun."

"You do that and I'll go back to calling you Mikk-san," the elder Kanda threatened halfheartedly. "Sounds fuckin weird to call you that…"

The teacher shrugged, glancing at the clock on his wall. They had plenty of time to eat, but he felt rushed. "I'm coming over later… after work." He kept eating for a long moment, waiting for a reply that never came. "Hope you don't mind. I'll take over your couch to grade papers and stuff."

The dark-haired man laughed, snapping a circle of rice into his mouth. "Sure, sure. I'll make you dinner if you want to stay."

Tyki grinned. Score. That had definitely been what he wanted – Yoichi was as predictable as his younger brother when it came to reactions. Only the older man was much too nice, and the younger Kanda was much more brisk. And mean and blunt and unfriendly. It was no wonder they had such a bad relationship; their personalities were complete, polar opposites. If only he had the authority to call Kanda out of class and force the two brothers to interact – now that would be some good lunchtime entertainment. Or maybe if he could just do Yoichi or something; it had been a while since he got laid.

Yoichi's brows furrowed a bit, and he swiped at his cheek. "What, why are you staring? Is there something on my face?"

The older man laughed, shaking his head. "No, no… I was just thinking. Sorry."

"Tch, yeah, whatever," the other grunted, and the resemblance to his little brother was uncanny. "You better be nice to me or I'll poison your dinner."

The teacher grinned. "Yeah, sure, whatever," he taunted. "You wouldn't poison me. Who would keep an eye out for your little brother then? Certainly not _Cross _or anyone."

The Japanese man pulled a wholly displeased face. "Cross? He's still working here?" He paused, expression twisting again into something a little angrier. "Don't tell me he's been _hitting on _my little brother?"

Typical. "No, no, I promise he hasn't," Tyki said hastily. "Don't go jumpin' to conclusions all the time, Yoichi."

"Tch, asshole hitting on my brother…" Yoichi grumbled, eating his food just a little more sharply. He bit the end of a piece of fish like it had done him a personal wrong. "_You _aren't hitting on my brother, are you?"

Tyki's smile was even wider. "Why would I hit on Kanda when I can hit on _you_?"

The half embarrassed, half weirded out look on the older Kanda's face for the rest of lunch had been totally worth it.

**

* * *

**

The rest of the day had passed fairly uneventfully. Kanda hadn't stormed his office demanding a group change; Lavi hadn't stormed his office demanding that he keep his eyes – and ears and hands or whatever – to himself and leave Yuu-chan alone, Rhode hadn't stormed his office with the intent of interrogating him about the white-haired boy who attended one of his later history lectures. The only exciting part of his day had been Yoichi's appearance, and after lunch, he had somehow managed to squeeze the other's flat address out of him so he could visit after school.

And that was how he found himself packing his bag slowly, shoving papers halfheartedly into the backpack. They all needed to be graded, and he wasn't looking forward to it at all. So many essays; why did he assign them in the first place? They were annoying, hard to read if the student had bad handwriting, and he actually had to _think_ to figure out how much credit someone got for a load of bullshit with a few facts mixed in. Because somehow, papers like that seemed to get written a lot. Maybe he would give Yoichi those papers to read; the other man would probably find them hilarious.

He had finished teaching, packing, doing basic housekeeping for his office, and cleaned up his desk – sort of, more like he just pushed the papers around and decided that they weren't worth organizing – and finally left. There weren't any students milling around – well, just an odd couple here and there, discussing study techniques in low voices and not even looking up when he passed. Mostly, though, the halls were empty, but he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him. Maybe he was just being paranoid. When he glanced behind him before getting on the metro, there had been no one familiar aside from the subway patrol guard. The same guy worked there every day, and he was pretty damn sure that the metro police were not the ones following him.

It took even less time to get to Yoichi's flat than it had for him to pack up his office. Several stops later, he debarked the subway and made his way to the nearest apartment complex. After being buzzed in and climbing two flights of stairs, he found the other's apartment fairly easily.

Yoichi opened the door – and he wasn't wearing an apron, to Tyki's immense but unvoiced disappointment, and his smile was infectious. "Hey! You're late," he chided, opening the door a little wider.

"Late?" Tyki scoffed, stepping inside and removing his shoes. "Sure. Late."

The younger man laughed, and it was so strange – to be looking someone that looked so similar to Kanda in the face, to be watching him smile and chuckle and act so casually, like it was normal; because for Yoichi, that kind of attitude _was _normal. He wondered how they really would get along. Not well. Not well at all. He was so very tempted to force them together in some kind of situation just to see how they would treat each other.

"Make yourself comfortable," the Japanese man offered, sliding back into the kitchen. His bare feet made a slightly sticky noise against the tile, and the teacher grimaced. "I've been frying things all afternoon… careful on the floor, 'kay?"

"Frying things?" Tyki repeated curiously, meandering into the living room. The kitchen and living room were right next to each other, only separated by a bar with three small stools. Very Western.

"Yeah, like dumplings and stuff," Yoichi grinned, motioning with his hip to a plate of golden-brown dumplings. "I know they're Chinese, but I love them."

The brunette laughed, shaking his head a little before taking out his stack of essays and plopping down on the couch. "Man. I am _beat_."

Yoichi shrugged. "Take a nap, then. I really don't mind if you stay the night or anything… You aren't that much of a creeper."

Oh, if he only knew. Tyki grinned to himself, flipping through the first page of the rubric – guidelines for how to write the essay, why did no one ever read them? – before uncapping his red pen and chewing on the end. A few minutes later, he had tossed it aside, already annoyed by the horrific writing. Did no one know how to write a decent essay? He flipped through the stack, finding the younger Kanda's essay and read it through thoughtfully. Not bad. Not particularly good, either, but much better than the bullshit he had already graded.

"Mm, you look like you're having fun," Yoichi remarked as the oven beeped loudly. He opened it, wincing at the blast of heat that hit his face, before removing a long, rectangular pan. A cake.

"Your brother's essay is the least shittiest one I've read so far," the older man replied sullenly. "Fuckin ridiculous. Nobody can write these days."

"Kids these days!" Yoichi tittered dramatically, setting the cake aside. "But really? That's weird; Yuu doesn't like French to begin with. You know, sometimes I wonder why he even wanted to come to this school…"

Tyki shrugged. "Hell if I know. Good experience? Get away from the family? A fresh start? You tell me, _bro_."

The dark-haired man fell silent, and Tyki resumed grading papers for a while. He wasn't sure how long it was – it felt like hours. In the background, he could hear Yoichi humming to himself – humming! Kanda would never do something like that – as he bustled around in the kitchen. The smell of – those dumplings, he guessed, and that cake were wafting through the rooms of the flat like aromatic incense, and he found himself taking deeper and deeper breaths to absorb more of it. Smelled so good. He was even grading the papers a little easier.

There was a very solid knock on the door that drew him out of his stupor; he glanced at Yoichi with raised eyebrows. "Who's that? You expecting someone?"

The Kanda narrowed his eyes. The resemblance was once again uncanny. "No… I wouldn't've invited you over if I was expecting someone." He marched towards the door, peering through the peep, and drew back with a laugh. "How funny!"

Before Tyki could ask what, exactly, was so funny, the other had thrown the door open to reveal – Bookman Junior? Now that _was _a little funny. He was clutching a book in his hands, still wearing the same uniform he'd worn to school, and his face was arranged in a supremely determined expression.

"Bookman?" he asked, not getting up from his comfortable spot on the couch. It was warm and it smelled good, and he was still tired. "The hell are you doing here?"

Yoichi ushered the redhead into the apartment, waiting as he took off his shoes – how had he known? Maybe he was just more culturally aware than Tyki had given him credit for – and then leading him by the shoulders even further into the house. "You want to give me your pack?" the older Kanda asked cheerfully. "I'll put it in the kitchen for you."

Lavi let the other take his backpack, but he didn't budge from his spot in front of the living room. His expression was wavering – between out and out defiance and something a little more uncertain, and the teacher raised his eyebrows in tacit question. What was his student doing there? How had he managed to find Yoichi's flat? He wondered briefly if the younger Kanda knew where the older was living, but that was unlikely. And even if he did, he was even less likely to tell other people. Most importantly, though, what did he want?

The redhead opened his mouth, popped it closed, and then opened it again. He looked like a fish out of water, like he didn't know what to do with himself. The older man was torn between being curious and simply amused.

"Was there something you needed?" he prompted finally. Yoichi had busied himself in the kitchen again, so it was unlikely that he wanted to take part in the conversation. Tyki glanced over his shoulder, frowning as he caught sight of the black-haired brunette leaning excitedly over the bar, trying to hear their conversation.

"Leave him alone, okay?" Lavi said finally, a little huffily. He had put his hands on his hips, and apart from making a funny picture, he really wasn't all too threatening. Cute, yes. Threatening, no.

One of Tyki's dark brows pulled over the other, and his mouth twitched between again, halfway amused. "Leave him alone. What do you mean?"

"Like you don't _know_," the Bookman Junior said, narrowing his eyes. "Just… don't creep on Kanda anymore, okay?"

"What about me?" Yoichi yelled from the kitchen, and the older man rolled his eyes.

"Nothing; just keep cooking," he answered loudly before turning back to give the redhead a highly amused stare. "You're telling me to leave Kanda alone, are you?" He grinned, running a hand suggestively over the essays he was grading. The fact that he could make a motion like that suggestive spoke volumes more than his words. "Ah… why should I?"

He had no intentions of telling the other that he had already given up – set his sights on someone more realistic, someone closer to his age, someone with a better personality. Someone who was decidedly making too much noise in the kitchen on purpose. At least not until he could confirm that the student was interested in the other Japanese boy. Lavi's cheeks colored sharply and he grimaced before arranging his features into a more pleasant expression.

"Because you want a chance with him?" Tyki asked rhetorically with a knowing smile. The other's cheeks flushed even harder.

"Well…" Lavi shuffled awkwardly on his feet before his eyes snapped back up, narrowing into a glare. "You're way too old for him anyway, you pervert!"

Tyki grinned, beckoning the other forward. "Lavi, really? You think I'd go for the younger one when that one over there is much more my type?" he whispered behind his hand, winking lasciviously. "_And _my age?"

"Well…" the redhead said again, floundering uncomfortably. It was obvious he did not like the way the conversation was going.

"Look," the teacher said softly, peering again into the kitchen to make sure Yoichi couldn't hear them. He was either oblivious or just really good at faking it, so the older man plowed on, "I'm really not interested in Kanda anymore. It wouldn't work out even if I was." He paused, grinning a little. "But I'm sure Yoichi wouldn't mind if you took his little brother out."

Suddenly the Japanese man was in the doorway, his hands on his hips. Still no apron; how disappointing. "Hey! You can't tell secrets in my house," he huffed. "Especially not ones about my little brother."

Lavi looked completely mortified, but the older Kanda merely ruffled his hair and laughed. "Um, well, that's.. I should be going…" he tried to smile, lips quirking up pathetically at the corners. "Sorry for... just dropping by like this…"

Yoichi shook his head, still smiling that secretive little grin of his. "No, wait. I have something for you to take with you." He disappeared back into the kitchen, around the corner where they couldn't see him anymore.

"Something for…?" Lavi repeated, the confusion evident on his still-flushed face. "What…?"

Tyki shrugged. "Don't look at me. He's crazy, right?"

"Fuck you; see if I feed you now," Yoichi said good-naturedly, appearing back in the doorway and holding the cake – the delicious smelling pastry he had spent so much time baking – in his hands. "Here! This is for you!" he smiled, holding it out to the redhead. "Make sure Yuu-chan eats some of it. I made it the way he likes."

Lavi gaped wordlessly. Tyki did too – had they planned this whole scenario together? Did Yoichi and the redhead secretly know each other outside of school? What a strange thought. Maybe they did. The student accepted the cake gingerly, trying to smile again but one of his eyebrows was raised in absolute confusion.

"Um. Thanks?" The Junior Bookman – or Bookman Junior or whatever his title really was – cradled the cake in his hands with a look of absolute confusion. "Uh. So it's a cake."

"Don't tell Yuu-chan," Yoichi whispered dramatically, "but he actually likes cakes. Don't tell him what it is. Just make him eat it."

Tyki snorted from the couch. That just sounded wrong. As the older Kanda pushed Lavi out the door, a sudden thought occurred to him. "Hey, if he's taking that cake, what are we going to eat?" he whined. "I wanted to eat that cake too!"

Yoichi rolled his eyes. "I'll make you another one. Don't complain at me."

The older man nodded, satisfied, and leaned back in his seat again to finish grading papers. He didn't really feel like it, though; that took effort, and honestly, all he wanted to do was sit and watch the other man cook. The other thing the older and younger Kanda had in common – some fuckin' nice legs.

"You know," Tyki drawled, "I feel lazy today."

"Obviously," the other retorted. "You haven't moved from that couch for an hour."

The teacher shrugged. "Yeah. And I don't plan to, either."

"_Lazy_," Yoichi accused, grinning.

The older man shrugged. "That's what I said."

* * *

So.. next chapter will not take nearly as long, pinky promise.

TYKAN WEEK IN MY PROFILE.

REVIEW. :3


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